Injustice: Shinobi Among Us
by Echo Hayabusa
Summary: After witnessing the death of his best friend, Naruto escapes to a different world to start over. He is found by Ra's Al Ghul who molds him to do what he wishes: to make the world a better places as an assassin. Finding residence in Smallville, Naruto deals with the likes of The Flash, Batman and Green Arrow as heroes rise, teams are formed and he sets to help the world.
1. Prologue: Red

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dc, Marvel or Naruto. I am in no way affiliated with them and I make no profits from this fanfiction.

The reason all of my notes and such are at the beginning of this story is because it's special. It's a story that Shawn129 and I put together through PMs. I had a story with the name of this one but was going nowhere with it. Shawn129 had a challenge and I was able to bring them together into one fic that I am genuinely excited about!

The thing here is that this is a MASSIVE crossover with Naruto traversing the properties of Marvel and DC. Cartoons, Movies, Games, he's going to be traversing a lot of territory and it's going to be a progressive thing. We will be following the life of Naruto as he grows in this story and if you don't want to see that type of story then this one is NOT for you!

Prologue:

Red

Konoha's veteran memorial was awkwardly quiet. The world seemed so at peace here. The Veteran Memorial was a graveyard that had been erected after the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Consequently, there had been so many casualties in the war that only the high profiled figures of the war were actually buried in the memorial. Others were buried in the various graveyards that were scattered around the Elemental Nations. Overhanging clouds threatened to allow rain to fall upon the graveyard as thunder rumbled, seemingly vibrating the Earth.

"You're here again." A male's voice spoke, destroying the silence that had reigned over the area. Only to males resided within the graveyard. One a blond haired, whisker marked teenager who sat cross legged in front of a gravestone. The other was a silver haired man whom wore white and red robes and a black half face mask. "You have to let it go, Naruto. It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

The blond identified as Naruto said nothing in response for a long moment as he continued to stare at the gravestone. "You're one to talk, Kakashi." The blonde's voice was filled with sadness, his eyes never leaving the name in front of himself. "You never stopped visiting Obito's grave until you saw him, alive, and watched him die. And I could have done something. We were fighting together. I watched him die." The man known as Kakashi, the now Seventh Hokage of Konoha, grimaced beneath his mask.

During the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Sasuke Uchiha had returned to the Allies side after his years of having been a rogue shinobi for Konoha. Naruto and Sasuke had stood side by side and battle Madara and Obito Uchiha. They seemed to be an unstoppable force, years of being enemies apparently having had no effect on their teamwork. However, Madara and Obito were very dangerous men. Madara had relentlessly attack Naruto and had allowed Obito the opportunity to impale Sasuke with a sword.

The weapon had pierced through his chest and, having already survived one sword piercing through him, his life was cut short. Naruto used his rage against the two Uchihas to defeat them. Sasuke survived long enough to watch his friend dismantle his fellow clansmen. Kakashi didn't know what conversation specifically they had, but they held one within the last few minutes of the black haired teenager's life. With his final words, Sasuke had left his eyes to Naruto. Naruto had not wanted to take them, however, he had so that he could see for them both.

Tsunade Senju had been the one to perform the operation, on the scene. With modern technology and her great skills, she had been able to give Naruto Sasuke's eyes in a way that allowed him to control them as the black haired boy had. Meaning that he was able to activate and deactivate them at will, unlike Kakashi had been unable to do after Rin Nohara had transplanted Obito's eye to him. He had used those eyes to rid the world of the Biju's demonic chakra by absorbing it into himself.

"You did your best." Kakashi stated as he crouched down next to his former student and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You and Sasuke saved the world, Naruto. I could never have been any prouder of either of you for what you did. You risked your lives to protect your loved ones and their ideals. You're a hero, Naruto."

"Heroes are overrated." Naruto returned as his eyes narrowed harshly. His right blue eye swirled into a red eye with three tomos surrounding the pupil. His left eye expanded and formed a purple eye with thirteen rings surrounding the pupil. It held three tomos around the pupil on the first ring, and three tomos around that ring on the second.

"You can't let his death consume you, Naruto. This isn't who you are. As a matter of fact, the way you're acting you remind me a lot of how Sasuke first acted when we came together as Team Seven. Don't let those eyes change you, Naruto. In the end Sasuke changed his ways and used those eyes to fight for the greater good. He wouldn't want you to dwell on his death." Kakashi stated firmly as he stood back to his full height.

"And I won't." Naruto responded as he stood to his feet. However, as he did so his left Rinnegan eye began to ripple violently in a manner Kakashi had never seen the Doujutsu act in before.

"Naruto, what's-"

"But I can't stay here. I've tried to just settle down, but I can't. You're right, Sasuke did fight for the greater good in the end. And that's what these are for now. Fighting for the greater good. I can't do that here in this place. I can't use these eyes for the greater good in a land of peace. I need a new start, away from the world where I lost my best friend. Away from where I watched my brother die."

"Naruto don't do anything stupid!" Kakashi shot at his former pupil as he brandished a kunai knife. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but-"

"Thank you, Kakashi. For everything that you've ever done for me. I don't know if we'll ever meet again, and I don't know if I'll ever return. Do me a favor, and watch over Sasuke's grave." With those words, a violently bright flash ripped itself open from his abdomen outward as it consumed him. Within moments it had completely devoured the blond haired shinobi. Kakashi jerked forward in an attempt to catch his student.

His jaw clenched angrily as he fell to his knees, having missed his former student. "I was too late…" He stated as he looked despairingly at his hands. "Again."

_-League of Shadows-_

Ra's Al Ghul stood at the head of his guild's training compound. His face was set into a scowl as they battled violently with each other. None were as proficient enough as Ra's demanded from his followers. It seemed that with every passing generation his warriors grew somewhat softer. He was very unsure how he was going to return the world to its original purity without a following of strong warriors.

The black and grey haired Al Ghul placed a hand over his eyes as a brilliant bright light illuminated the already bright day. Ra's frowned as he turned in place and began to walk from his overlooking point of view. "Father, where are you going?" A female's voice questioned as Ra's glanced to the side. His young teenage daughter, Talia, was staring up at him questioningly.

"To investigate." Ra's returned in a monotonous voice. "I won't have unknown events occurring around my training compound." Without another word, the man left his compound and was quickly joined by four of his body guards. He navigated the forest that surrounded his training compound expertly before arriving in the area of the flash of light. It was here that Ra's Al Ghul came upon a blond haired, blue eyed teenager.

The teenager stood with his head pointed skyward, his eyes closed. "Who are you?" Ra's Al Ghul questioned, causing the blond to tense as his eyes snapped open. It was obvious that the teenager had not heard Ra's and his bodyguard approaching.

"It's common decency to give your own name before asking someone their name." The blond replied as he reached into a pouch that he had attached to the backside of his pants before producing a kunai knife.

"Not when the person in question is trespassing on my territory." Ra's answered in response as he raised his eyebrow at Naruto's weapon. It was strange to see the outdated weapon in such a time of evolving technology. "Now, I will ask you one more time before I have you dispatched. What is your name?" The blond glared in response and Ra's Al Ghul watched with morbid fascination as his eyes swirled into a mix matched red and purple pair.

"By all means, do what you must." Despite the oddity of the teenager, Ra's motioned his guards forward with the wave of his right hand. The four guards shot forward. The first reached the whisker marked boy and swung wildly. The blond ducked down underneath the attack before lurching upwards, jamming his knife into the man's throat.

There was a choking sound as the warrior stumbled backward, holding his throat. The blond ducked down underneath a kick before performing a handspring and jumping away from the three remaining guards. The guards rushed forward to intercept him once again. The blue eyed boy launched his kunai through the air and watched as it slammed into a second guard's forehead.

The man's body continued to run for a moment before it fell and tumbled over itself. A blue substance surrounded the blonde's feet before he blasted high into the air. His hands moved through a plethora of hand signals before his right hand snapped out. Lightning blared to life in the hand with the sound of a thousand chirping birds. He flashed through the air, the attack slamming through his third victim's chest.

The bodyguard slammed into a tree before the teenager violently ripped his hand free. He expertly dodged another kick from the final bodyguard as a blue energy began revolving violently in his left hand. Then, his hand lurched upward and slammed into the final assailant's abdomen. The man screamed in absolute pain as he was launched through the air before crashing into and shattering a tree to pieces.

The blue eyed teenager crouched down and tensed himself for battle as he glared at Ra's, who clapped his hands together slowly. "Bravo. I have not seen talent like that for decades. And I have not seen abilities such as that for centuries. My name is Ra's Al Ghul, leader of the League of Shadows." The blond remained tensed for a moment before dropping his stance.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki." The blond haired teenager replied with a grimace. "I'm… new to this world. I come from a land of shinobi." Ra's raised an eyebrow in response to the statement before chuckling.

"A land of shinobi? I have only ever met few shinobi in my long existence. What is your purpose here, Mr. Uzumaki?" The elder male questioned.

"My brother died in front of me fighting for the greater good." Naruto stated as he allowed his eyes to fade back to their original blue color. "That's what I'm here to do. Fight for the greater good, by wiping scum from the Earth." Ra's smiled in response before he gestured in the direction of his training compound.

"Then perhaps you would like to learn of the League of Shadows. My guild is one that holds very shinobi like standards. I see much potential in you, Mr. Uzumaki. Potential I have never seen before in my many years. Potential that is untapped. And you are young enough that that potential may still be brought forth."

"What is the purpose of this 'League of Shadows'?" Naruto questioned as Ra's turned and began to walk back toward his training compound.

"It is a guild of Assassins that operate under me to restore purity in the world. To get rid of the evil that now plagues it and defiles it."

"Sounds like we have similar goals." Naruto replied as he came to a steady pace beside Ra's. "But I make no promises. And if you're preparing a trap for me, I promise you, I will make this compound of yours fall."

"I promise you that there are no tricks."

_-League of Shadows_

_Year 1-_

Naruto, at age seventeen, walked slowly in a circle as he brandished a katana. His eyes were covered by a black blindfold that covered his vision in complete darkness. He was donned in a typical baggy black League of Shadows training outfit. "You must use more than your eyes if you are a true shinobi." Ra's Al Ghul spoke, circling around the blond haired teenager. "Because if you rely solely on your eyes, what do you do when someone shrouds you with a smoke bomb?"

The ancient warrior lurched forward with his own sword and was delighted to hear the stomach churning sound of metal scraping against metal for the first time since they had begun this particular training. "Very good." Ra's spoke as their swords clanged violently against each other. Sparks showered from the blades as Naruto stood in place, a frown marring his lower features as he strained to keep his progress.

"However," Ra's foot shot out and pulled Naruto's legs out from underneath him. The black and grey haired man watched as the blond slammed into the ground, his sword of choice sliding away from him. "You must be aware of every aspect. Not just what you want to be aware of. If you are focused solely on the sword you will only be able to protect yourself from the sword. Not other dangers. Did you never encounter these possibilities in your world?"

"At least once." Naruto replied as he sat up and felt around for his weapon. "My team and I encountered a man named Zabuza Momochi. He had a mist technique that completely blinded us. Even with the Sharingan, Kakashi had trouble seeing through it. It wasn't natural. It was completely shinobi made." Ra's nodded in response as Naruto grabbed his sword and finally found his way back to his feet.

"Which is why I will not allow you to use your special eyes. They are a great asset, yes. But if you solely rely on them then you will fail. Perhaps someone blinds you with a sword. Completely destroys your eyes. What would you do then? You would be a blind shinobi, a blind assassin, with no concept on how to operate without your eyes. You would be useless to the greater good." Naruto's jaw clenched violently as he contemplated the words.

"I understand." Naruto replied as he dropped into a low stance. "I will not be useless." The image of a black haired, brown eyed boy flashed through his mind. He briefly relived the first time he lost his brother, Sasuke, to Haku. Then he relived Sasuke's final moments, remembering how vividly Sasuke's chest had exploded into violent gore when Obito had pierced it. "I will not fail." Ra's Al Ghul face remained emotionless as he once again began circling his pupil.

Then, he leapt forward once again before Naruto blocked his attack. Spark showered from the two dangerous pieces of metal to the ground. Naruto spun, using his strength to send Ra's Al Ghul's sword skidding along the concrete pavement of their training room. The ancient warrior's eyes widened before he dropped into a crouching state and attempting to sweep the blonde's legs out from underneath him once again.

Naruto launched himself into the air, Al Ghul's leg sliding harmlessly underneath him before he came back to the Earth where he performed a back handspring to create distance between him and his instructor. A smirk graces Al Ghul's features. "Very good. I didn't expect such a quick turn in abilities. However, there are still advantages that may be faced while blinded. Such as being outnumbered." Ra's motioned with his right hand and watched as eight of his personal guards stepped from the surrounding shadows. "All with varying types of attacks. Are you ready, Naruto?"

"I am." Ra's nodded in response before motioning with his hand. Then, the black and gray haired man watched as his guards rushed across the room to his blond haired student who sat, poised holding his katana with both hands.

_-League of Shadows_

_Year 2-_

"You have become rather proficient in fighting without the use of your eyes." Ra's spoke as he paced back and forth in front of his blond pupil, who stood at the Army's Parade Rest. The whisker marked teenager's currently blue eyes slowly moved to and fro as they followed the ancient leader of the League of Shadows. "However, it is obvious to me that you are not adept at hand to hand combat and sword fighting."

"Taijutsu and Kenjutsu were… Not my focal points in training." The blond replied as he bowed his head to Ra's. The black and grey haired warrior nodded his head as he continued to pace.

"That won't do. You wish to be a modern assassin, correct?"

"I prefer the term shinobi, but yes." Naruto responded as he lifted his head to stare at his mentor.

"Then you must be prepared. Flashy tricks will only get you so far in this world, despite how much devastation it may cause. This world is rather different from yours. It will face trials and tribulations that I cannot fathom. You need more than just a few tricks up your sleeve if you wish to be successful in your journey. So you will learn hand to hand combat. And you will earn sword skills." Naruto clasped his right fist in his left palm before bowing his head.

"As you wish."

"We'll begin with hand to hand combat, because it's more important. I've heard rumblings of beings known as mutants. If you run into one that is somehow invulnerable to your techniques, then you'll need to revert to the old ways to dispatch them. There are a plethora of hand to hand styles that are known throughout the world. Here in the League of Shadows, you have access to them all. Here in the League of Shadows, you have access to fighting styles long since lost to the winds of time."

"Where should I begin?"

"With the basics." Ra's returned as he turned to face Naruto, offering him hand wrappings. "Which, consequently, forces us to start with what is known as boxing. If you are in an encounter where you have no weapons, no resources and are in a strictly close range fist fighting contest, always keep your hands in front of your face. Never pull back to swing your fist, it gives your opponent time to process the move and intercept it. Jab. Jabbing makes it almost impossible for an unsuspecting opponent to block."

_-League of Shadows_

_Year 3-_

"The League cannot help you with your shinobi powers." Ra's stated as he stared down upon his sole pupil. "We simply do not have the power or the resources to do so." Naruto shook his head slightly before he began to speak.

"I need no help." The blond haired nineteen year old responded. "What I don't know personally, I learn through what Sasuke witnessed in his life." He stated as his eyes shifted to their mismatched appearance with the blond gesturing to them. Ra's nodded in response and began to pace slightly, as he had become known to do when it came to matters of his student.

"That is good. I feared that you would not be able to progress as far as those techniques were concerned. This is good news indeed. There is not much more that I have for you. You simply need to hone what you have learned from the League of Shadows. For the time being, hone your hand to hand combat. Your swordsmanship. Also focus on the powers that you were born with in your world." Naruto bowed in response to Ra's.

"As you wish."

_-League of Shadows_

_Year 3-_

Ra's Al Ghul entered his private quarters, not in the least bit surprised to find his student having snuck past his personal guards. Within the three years that Naruto had been with the League of Shadows, he had grown exponentially. He had become the true essence of an assassin. "Is there something that you need to speak to me about, Naruto? This is a less than formal way of approaching any matter."

"I'm requesting leave from the League of Shadows." Ra's Al Ghul raised one of his black eyebrows, though there was no surprise. Al Ghul had known that this day was to come. His student was far too adventurous a spirit to be tied down at his current age in life.

"Is that so?" Ra's questioned in response. "Why is this?"

"I'm here to fight for the greater good. I am not forsaking your League of Shadows. I am not going against its ways. However, I am ready to go out into the world and begin my journey. I've already accepted my first contract."

"Then who am I to stand in your way." Ra's questioned as he walked past Naruto. "I always knew that you would leave. You were never the type to stay. Poor Talia will miss her sparring friend. However, I understand. And I grant you leave from the League of Shadows simply because I know that you will be helping us in our goals despite the fact that you will not be here, operating under me." Naruto bowed in response to the ancient warrior.

"Thank you, Ra's Al Ghul."

"I was young once." Ra's replied. "It is better to have your adventures when you are young, as opposed to when you are a millennia old and are drown in a pool of green to constantly keep your life from expiring. Go, have your adventures. Begin your career as an assassin. Wipe those who should not exist in a pure Earth from this plane of existence. Yet remember that the League of Assassins will always hold a place for you. I will never turn you away."

A smile passed over Naruto's features for a split second. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that Ra's Al Ghul is becoming sentimental in his later years."

"Go." Ra's commanded as he sat in his personal chair. "Go and fulfill your destiny in this world."

"Destiny doesn't exist." Naruto returned as he walked to his mentor's window, opening it up. Then, he gave one last glance over his shoulder. "Only the path that you carve out or yourself." With those words, the blond haired shinobi launched himself through the window of Al Ghul's four story room. Ra's stared at the window for a long moment before chuckling.

"He reminds me of my first years on this planet. Eager to begin my journey." Ra's stood to his feet as he heard a knock on his door. There was no doubt in his mind who it was and what they wanted.

"Father?"

"I'm afraid that Naruto won't be able to make it to your scheduled training session." Ra's stated as he walked through his door, grabbing her shoulder so that she would follow. "You'll have to find another training partner." A furious expression passed over the girl's features. Ra's knew how fond his daughter had been of the blond haired teenager, and knew that she wouldn't take the news of his departure very well at all.

"Why!?"

_-Smallville_

_Year 3-_

Naruto walked through Smallville, Kansas with a disinterest look on his face. His first job as an assassin, as it was, was not what could really be labeled as an assassination contract. A teenage girl in highschool felt as though she was being stalked and had grown increasingly paranoid. To the point that she had sought to hire a bodyguard to make sure that nothing happened to her. As it were, Naruto located himself in Smallville and enrolled himself in what was called 'Senior Year' in high school.

He strolled casually down a sidewalk. He wore a plain black tee shirt with a leather jacket pulled on over it. His hands were shoved into his jacket's pockets as he continued his slow pace. He wore a pair of light blue jeans and a pair of black converse sneakers. He had painted over the 'All Star' logo on the side with a white paint and painted Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan onto the right sneaker, and his Rinnegan onto the left.

His whisker marks had been covered up with some type of makeup foundation to avoid any suspicions about him. It wouldn't do to walk around a teenage environment with what looked like six scars on his cheeks. It could be misconstrued that he had either placed them there himself, or he was a troubled youth that had simply run into a bad crowd. Either scenario would cause him to be unable to fit in and possibly find his employees stalker.

Naruto came to a halt as he came upon Smallville high. Students bustled around, talking excitedly with each other as they flashed rings they wore upon their fingers back and forth. Naruto raised one of his blond eyebrows. He had never understood the appeal behind rings outside of marriage. It had always seemed like it was just an annoyance that got in the way of one's mobility. "Hey." A girl stated as she appeared in front of him, much like how League of Shadows member were known to do. "My name is Lana Lang."

"Nice to meet you Lana Lang." The blond returned as he outstretched his hand. "I'm your bodyguard." The girl's eyes lit up at the words and she released a relieved breath of air.

"Oh thank god. You know, it's hard to find someone when you don't know what they look like." The girl gestured over her shoulder where a scantily clad blonde haired girl stood, waiting. "All I knew was 'blond'. So, I have someone else to escort around too." Naruto nodded in response as they shook hands to keep up appearance.

"So what's your situation?" Naruto questioned. "What's your problem with this stalker?"

"I don't know who it is." Lana whispered in reply as they stalled for time. "But someone's leaving love notes on my parents' grave. It's nothing threatening, and I've never been approached-"

"Then why did you hire me?" Naruto interrupted the girl. "What's the point in having a bodyguard if there's no real danger?"

"I'm just worried about the possibility." She returned evenly. "What does it matter to you as long as you're getting paid?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders in response as he motioned for her to lead him forward.

"I guess I have to start somewhere in this world. Well, lead the way Ms. Lang." The teenager nodded in response and began to walk back to where the girl was, impatiently, waiting.

"Who's this?" The blonde haired girl questioned as her eyes roamed Naruto's form.

"Um, this is Jessie Brooks." Lana stated to Naruto as she indicated to the blonde haired girl. "And this is-"

"Naruto." He stated, realizing that he had never given Lana his name. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's kind of a fucked up name." Jessie stated, causing Naruto to narrow his eyes. "What is that? Chinese?"

"It's a name. What does it matter where it comes from?" The blue eyed teenager questioned in response. Jessie shrugged in response and grimaced at her fellow new student.

"Guess it doesn't." She returned hotly as Lana held her hands up in an attempt to calm the two new students.

"Okay guys, I know it's an exciting day. New school, no friends, I get it! But let's not let that excitement cause us to react irrationally." Naruto chuckled in response as he crossed his arms over his chest, causing Jessie to scoff at him. Lana heaved a heavy sigh and motioned for the two to follow her, which they did.

They entered the hallways of the school and walked around the surrounding bustling students. "I know the first day of school can be pretty rough. So if you need anything, just ask." Lana spoke, more so to Jessie than to Naruto.

"What do you Crows do for fun around here?" The 'bad girl' blonde questioned Lana, prompting Naruto to glance at her. "Between the tractor poles and the hoedowns." Naruto release a scoff at the statement, prompting Jessie to glare at him.

"I don't know, but I'd like to know what you do between your angst poem readings and prostitution." Naruto returned, with Jessie giving him the middle finger as a response.

"Hey, fuck you man. Do you have a problem with me or something?"

"Besides the fact that you insulted my family name?"

"Calm down, calm down!" Lana hissed quietly, using her hands to emphasize the fact that they needed to keep their tempers in check so that they didn't draw any unwanted attention to themselves. The two blonds looked away from each other, grimacing. With a sigh, Lana ran a hand over her features. Thinking on her decision to hire a bodyguard, she probably would have been fine without him. It would have probably caused her less stress too.

"Okay. Well, Jessie, there's the Talon."

"Which is?"

"A coffee house and a really cool place to hang out." She returned quickly before giving a slight chuckle. "But I'm kind of biased because I, like, own it."

"Gee, I'll have to check it out." Jessie returned in a sarcastic voice.

"Could you be any more of a bitch?" Naruto questioned, causing Lana's eyes to widen.

"Fuck off." Jessie replied hatefully, never looking to her fellow blond as she eyed a black haired teen in a blue dress shirt. "Who is the guy in the primary colors?" She questioned as Naruto observed the teenager.

"Him? That's Clark Kent."

"No offence, Lana, but maybe I can get him to show me around."

"Please do." Naruto returned as Clark opened his red ring holding case. The girl scoffed at him as he turned to observe the black haired teen once again. Clark placed his ring on his finger and Naruto's eyes narrowed as red veins ran throughout the boy's right arm and his eyes flashed red. "What the fuck?" Naruto whispered silently to himself. There was something not right about the seemingly normal teenager.

"Excuse me." A man's voice broke through his thoughts, drawing Naruto's, Lana's, Jessie's and Clark's attention to him as he placed his hand on Jessie's arm. "It's… Jessie, isn't it?" He questioned. "Perhaps Ms. Lang didn't tell you this, but there's a dress code here at Smallville High."

"Lame and Lamer?" The girl questioned, causing Clark Kent to release a loud chuckle at the statement.

"You think this is funny Mr. Kent?" The man questioned as Naruto shook his head at the dark haired teenager.

"That was not even remotely funny." The blond stated.

"That's because you don't have a sense of humor." Jessie shot at the blond before turning snottily to the authoritative figure. "By the way, I'm not changing."

"Then perhaps you'd like to discuss it in my office." He stated as he outstretched his arm in a particular direction. Jessie looked around angrily before walking alongside the principal.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gibbons?" Clark spoke up as he walked forward, still holding his ring box, straight past Naruto and looking at Lana for a moment. "I think she looks really hot."

"He's a prostitute chaser." Naruto stated, causing Jessie to glare harshly at him. Clark glanced to him over his shoulder before rolling his eyes.

"And I think that your dress code… sucks." Jessie smiled smugly at the boy's word while Naruto snorted loudly.

"Are you serious?" Naruto questioned as principal Gibbons raised his eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, it's her first day. Cut her some slack. Besides, I think you could use some fashion tips yourself."

"Woah, woah, cut her some slack?" Naruto questioned as he stepped forward. "Really? Look, principal whatever your name is, I don't know you. I don't respect you." Naruto shrugged with an uncaring face as the principal grimaced. "But you don't need to cut that girl slack. I've known her type for years. Thinks they can say and do whatever they want. Don't let the pretty boy tool here con you into thinking she's a good person or something. Trust me. She's not."

"What's your problem?" Clark questioned, causing Naruto to smirk and chuckle.

"My problem? My problem is that I've been here for less than ten minutes and I'm already having to deal with the same self centered do only for me type of people that I've dealt with my entire life. I'm here to contribute to society. Part of that process is to make sure pampered brats don't get away with everything they want and then think that they can do whatever they want in the world."

"Okay, that's enough!" Their principal interrupted. "I don't want to see a fight. Young lady, tomorrow you show up to school dressed appropriately or you go straight back home. Clark, I don't know what's gotten into you but I expect more from you. You, Mr... Naruto. I don't know you, but I hope you hold up to my expectations. Have a good day." With that, the principal turned and walked away from the group of tension bearing teens.

"Well, I guess we can continue our private tour then." Lana suggested as she walked forward, ushering Naruto and Jessie to follow her. The blonde haired girl walked away backward, winking at Clark as his dark skinned friend walked forward to stand beside him, obviously excited about his showing. Naruto progressed slowly throughout the day, bored by the trivial things taught in high school.

After the final bell, Naruto followed closely to Lana. He kept his eyes open in case he saw anyone suspicious watching the girl, but actually so none as they approached Clark and his friend after they had talked to Jessie, with the blonde haired girl writing something on his hand. "Hey Clark. You and Jessie seem to be making quick friends." Lana stated happily as they approached with Naruto shaking his head as he saw the jealousy flash over Clark's features at the sight of them together.

"I'm just trying to make the new girl feel welcome." Clark stated smugly, prompting Naruto to roll his eyes. "Don't worry Lana, I haven't taken my eye off you all day." Clark stated, prompting his friend's head to snap to him. Naruto released a harsh laugh as he looked to the side.

"Oh what a crock of bullshit." Naruto shot as he took the pen that Clark's friend held away. Acting as quickly as possibly, Naruto grabbed Clark's hand and ran the pen across the number that Jessie had written on his hand with as much force as the blond could muster. The pen marked the number out before Clark ripped his hand away, but his skin never broke. Naruto's eyes narrowed. There was something bizarre about Clark Kent.

"What the hell was that for!?" Clark questioned as Naruto shrugged, tossing Clark's friend's pen back to him.

"If you haven't taken your eye off her all day, then you don't need Jessie's number… Right?" Clark opened his mouth to shoot a remark at Naruto but paused and chuckled harshly, running his hand through his hair.

"You know what, yeah. You're right. Lana's the only number I need." Naruto narrowed his eyes. Clark Kent had just become his prime suspect for being Lana's stalker. And that wasn't a good thing considering that there was already bad blood brewing between the both of them. Naruto chuckled as he shook his head.

"I'll be around, Lana." He told the girl as he began to walk away. The girl nodded in response as she turned to talk to Clark and their friend, all the while Clark's blue eyes piercing bullets into the blond haired teenager's back. Naruto walked back to his newly rented apartment which held nothing but a bed and a radio. He glanced around the spacious rooms before walking to his bed and sitting down.

Reaching to the floor he picked his radio up and lay on his back. Placing the radio on his chest, he turned the electronic on and listened as he turned the radio on. "In other news, billionaire Bruce Wayne has recently returned Gotham after around a decade of globe trotting-" Naruto turned the dial on his radio. "Billionaire Oliver Queen has been returned after being stranded on an island for five ye-"

"Not interested." Naruto replied as he grimaced and turned the dial. "Billionaire Tony Stark has been reported missing after a devastating attack on a military escort unit." Again Naruto turned his dial and listened for the next radio station with a signal. "Local crime scene investigator, Barry Allen has awoken from his nine month coma after a freak incident that occurred. When questioned-" Naruto turned his radio off and placed it on the ground.

"The news is just filled to the brim with exciting news." Naruto spoke flatly. "If only this was a world filled with excitement. Perhaps if Captain America were still around…" Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes. "How am I ever going to impact this world when the most amazing fact about this world is that some people are born with an extra gene that gives them mutant abilities?" Rolling out of bed, Naruto stood to his feet and walked to his window.

"Lana said that she and her friends were going to have a study group. And Kent's going to be there. This would be my best opportunity to scout him out. See what he's all about." Rolling his neck around, Naruto raised his window before leaping from it and heading to the area Lana had given him directions to.

The blond spent the night trailing Clark Kent after the teenager left his friends, finding out the interesting fact that he had super speed. He watched as he invested a large amount of money into useless comfort items such as clothing, speakers, etcetera. All behavior that made him even more of Naruto's prime suspect. The blond set on the edge of a building, his eyes flashing red and purple. "I hope you have some redeeming qualities. Because I want to end this assignment as soon as possible. There has to be something else in this world for me to do."

_-Smallville High-_

The next morning, Naruto stood silently on the sidewalk of the school. Wearing a white tee shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans and his black converse, it was obvious that he wasn't one of the ones to attempt to stick out. However, the same couldn't be said for Clark Kent who rode down the school's sidewalk on a motorcycle. He wore a black leather jacket and had Jessie clinging tightly to his back. They pulled into one of the school's spaces before Jessie got off of the motorbike and handed Clark his helmet.

The teenager stared at it for a minute before he picked himself up off of the motorcycle. "So much for the shy Clark Kent." Lana stated as she and her friends approached Clark, followed by Naruto at a distance.

"I was just giving her a ride to school." Clark spoke smoothly. "Just say the word and I'll save you the return trip. The bell to the school rang loudly, prompting the students to hurry into the building. Clark remained by the bike with his friend, and Naruto stayed rooted in place. He stared harshly at Clark.

"Clark Kent, the chick magnet." His friend spoke. "What happened?"

"Things change, Pete." Clark returned evenly before a man in a red truck pulled into the school parking lot quickly, creating a border between Clark and Naruto.

"Clark, I'd like to have a word with you please."

"Not right now dad." Clark stated as he straightened his jacket and began walking around the truck, causing Naruto's eyes to narrow.

"Get in the truck son."

"Give me one good reason why I should." Clark returned before his dad jerked forward and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, swinging him around.

"Because I'm your father and I just told you to get in the truck." The man returned angrily as Clark gave a conceited smile.

"You're not my father. You never were." Clark stated before he shoved his dad, causing him to fly through the air and slam into his truck door. The man's face contorted in pain.

"That's enough." Naruto stated as he jerked forward, grabbing Clark by the shoulder of his jacket. The black haired youth grimaced and made the same jabbing gesture with Naruto. The blond hair teen didn't move a muscle and instead sent Clark stumbling to the ground. "If he raised you he's your father."

"You got a problem with me, blondie?"

"You're damn right I got a problem with you." Naruto responded as Clark stood to his feet, dusting his jacket off. "And we're going to settle it." Clark cracked his neck and narrowed his eyes at Naruto.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what, pretty boy?" Naruto questioned as they began to circle each other. "All you need to know is that I'm going to take pleasure in kicking your ass." Clark released a snort of laughter before he made to sucker punch his adversary. Naruto ducked down underneath Clark's fist. Pete and Clark's father watched as Naruto leapt into the air, slamming his shoulder into the black haired teen's abdomen.

Clark doubled over in pain as Naruto spun around him, grabbing his arm and wrenching it behind his back. An almost invisible blue aura coated Naruto's hands as he brought his fist down onto the back of Clark's neck, sending him down to one knee. "Even if that man's your stepfather, and you didn't know your real father, that doesn't give you the right to act like a little bitch." Naruto stated as he grabbed Clark's right hand. Clark, sensing the danger, jerked away violently.

His ring slipped away into Naruto's hand with a flash of red going through his veins. He stumbled to the ground and gasped for air as Naruto dropped his ring onto the ground and crushed it under his foot. "Your ring was a fake by the way." He stated. "Wouldn't have shattered like that. Looks like you wasted a shit ton of money. But I guess that isn't anything new to you, is it, pretty boy?" Naruto questioned as he circled around Clark.

"Dad..?" Clark questioned as he held his head. The man looked to Clark and watched as a sense of dread washed over him. "Oh dad…"

"Clark, what's going on?" His father asked as he grit his teeth while standing. "You're acting like you have bipolar disorder."

"I don't know, I-"

"Hey, remember me?" Naruto questioned angrily as he reached down and grabbed Clark by the front of his shirt.

"Hold on!" Clark's dad called. "I appreciate you standing up for me, but there was something wrong with my son. That's not how he normally acts."

"That's the only way I've seen him act." Naruto returned as he shoved Clark away from him. "Ever since I got here and watched him put on that ring-"

"The ring!" Pete interrupted, drawing everyone's attention. "Clark started acting like this after he put that ring on! He said it was fake, so, maybe the company's ripping people off. Maybe… Maybe they got a rock like the meteor-"

"Pete, don't-"

"Save it." Naruto interrupted. "I already know there's something off about your son. I watched him speed through Smallville last night faster than sound." The blond haired boy stated, causing Clark to lower his head in shame. "So, I think it would behoove you all to fill me in on what exactly it is that is going on here. Because I may have a big mouth. And if I don't find out what I want to find out, then my big mouth may let someone else know what I saw."

Clark's father grimaced before speaking. "Fine. But not here. Pete, um…"

"Naruto."

"Naruto… Come with Clark to our house after school. We'll tell you what you want to know as long as you tell no one anything about Clark. Pete, you can finish telling us your thought there, okay?" The teenagers glanced to each other before nodding. Mr. Kent grit his teeth again as he slowly got into his truck. "Clark, you're responsible for that motorcycle. You better get it home safe, do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." With that, Mr. Kent drove away, more than likely to get medical attention of some kind for his injuries. Naruto went throughout his day much as he had the day before. Throughout the day he saw a much more different side of Clark Kent. A shyer, more gentle side. A side that reminded Naruto somewhat of a less stutter, male, Hinata Hyuuga. When the final bell rang, Naruto assembled with Pete and Clark before they traveled to the Kent's farm.

There, they found that Clark's mother had already made dinner for them to eat. "Welcome to our humble abode." Clark's father stated as he entered his house behind the trio of teenage boys. "Naruto, my name is Jonathan Kent. This is my wife, Martha. Martha, this is Naruto. The boy I told you about."

"Naruto Uzumaki." The blond stated as he walked forward and shook the woman's hand gently. "An honor to meet you. I would go on with the formalities but I really don't have time for that sort of thing. Your son. He's not human. What is he, mutant?"

"No not mutant." Jonathan returned as he sat down. "Clark is… Um… Clark…"

"I'm not from this world." Clark stated with his eyes closed, causing Naruto's to widen. "I'm from a different world. I'm an alien." Jonathan nodded with a grim look on his face.

"There you go. That covers everything up in a few sentences. That's all there really is to explain about what you saw and know about my son. You can't tell anyone. You gave your word that you wouldn't."

"And I won't. I always keep my word. That my n-" Naruto paused in mid sentence before he could say 'nindo'. "My way of life." The blond corrected himself, causing Jonathan to nod.

"That's a commendable way of life. Pete, what were you saying at the school about the ring?"

"Well, Clark started acting like he did after he put it on, right? And Naruto said it was fake, right? Well, guess what? I got a call from Chloe on the way here, about the rings. She said the company were using red meteorites that they found from the lake to replace rubies. It was the ring making Clark act like he did."

"So green affects him physically and red-"

"Emotionally." Pete stated as he nodded his head. "That's the conclusion that I came to. There's nothing else that makes sense." Jonathan nodded his head as he relaxed into a chair, wincing as the pain washed over him.

"Dad, I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, Clark. We understand. Your mother and I want to talk to you. Alone. If you don't mind, show the boys the way out." Clark nodded in response as he walked Naruto and Pete out of the house. Pete was quick to say goodbye, though Naruto and Clark lingered outside of the house.

"I owe you an apology. And a thank you. But I'm still not sure what to think about you. You hold this big secret over me now. And I don't even know you. All I know is that because of the way I was acting, you didn't like me. And you beat me up, which should be impossible. How did you do that?"

"You're really scared about your secret, huh?" Naruto questioned with a chuckle as he ran his hand through his hair causing Clark to sigh.

"Not only that, but Lana… I don't know, I'm kind of upset that you and Lana-"

"Hold on, there is no me and Lana." Naruto interrupted. "Is that really what you're concerned about? Your secret and the girl? Look, Clark, let me ease your doubts. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm from another world too. Or at least another reality." Clark's eyebrows rose in disbelief as Naruto lifted his hand, showing the black haired teen the blue hue that surrounded it. "That's why I can beat you up. Because I'm not a normal human. And I know how to deal with 'unbeatable' foes. I'm something of a… person for hire. Your friend Lana hired me because she doesn't feel safe."

"Doesn't feel safe?" Clark questioned as he furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Client confidentiality. I'm not allowed to discuss it. Look, all you have to know is that your secret is safe. And I'm not after your friend, I'm just here to protect her." Clark stared intently at Naruto, almost hatefully, then his features relaxed into a smile.

"I believe you." Clark returned as he outstretched his hand. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Clark Kent, I hope we can be friends."

"Naruto Uzumaki." The blond returned as he firmly shook Clark's hand. "We'll see how everything goes from this point forward, red rock." Clark laughed in response, prompting a smile to pass over Naruto's lips. Clark almosted reminded him of himself. Years ago, when he was still ignorant to the world. "Who knows, maybe we will be friends."


	2. Chapter 1: Power Outage

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he looked upon the note taped to the door of his apartment. 'To those it may apply' it stated. Naruto reached forward and ripped the piece of paper from his door before entering his apartment. Locking the door securely behind him, he unfolded the piece of paper and began to read it aloud. "To those it may concern, this is a formal invitation to all assassins to arrive in Gotham.

"You need not know how I've become aware of you. Only that I am. Your task is simple: Rid the world of the menace known as Batman. Your reward is five million dollars. Further details will be given at a later date. Prepare yourselves. Sincerely, anonymous." Naruto raised an eyebrow before crumpling his piece of paper. "The Batman? Reports of him just started showing up within the last few months. I'd heard he was a myth. If he's real, has he really already made someone mad enough to put a bounty on his head?"

With a grimace, Naruto crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it across his barren living room. The note said more information would arrive. More than likely to give time and date for when this was to occur. Naruto would await for that type of information before he made an attempt on a man's life, who may not have even existed. "We all have to start somewhere in this world." Naruto stated as he sat on his bed and reached down, picking up his radio. "Maybe my start is the death of Batman."

Chapter 1

Power Outage

_-Smallville High-_

Naruto glared harshly at Lana's and Chloe's back as he walked behind them. Lana had decided to go to her parents grave the night before, without warning Naruto. As such, she had found another love note and had more than likely almost been attacked due to the fact that she heard rustling in the surrounding trees. "The sentiment's nice." Chloe stated as she observed the note, the first that she had let anyone besides Naruto lay eyes on. "But the fact that you found it in a graveyard seems a little Amityville."

"I think it's kind of romantic." Lana stated as Pete walked to join the group. Naruto's eyes narrowed almost into slits as he continued to glare. The girl found the notes romantic, and yet she had been scared enough to hire him as a bodyguard. It was true that Naruto didn't care about her conflicting feelings. As long as he was paid for the job he was doing, he didn't care. It was her money to blow after all. However, he was not keen on the idea of remaining where he was not needed. "Love notes are kind of like a lost art."

"Not true! Not true!" Chloe replied. "Just this morning I intercepted a note from a wrestler to a cheerleader. It wasn't poetic but-"

"It said roses are red, violets are blue, I don't rhyme, but I want to fuck you." Naruto broke into the conversation causing Lana and Chloe to shift uneasily. Among their small group, Naruto was, of course, the newest. He had only been at Smallville High for three days and wasn't a very social student. And among the small group that he had been accepted into, he was very liberal with his speech. Nothing like how Clark had been acting two days before hand, just very brutal how he worded things.

"Like I said. It isn't poetic, but he definitely got his point across." Naruto rolled his eyes and looked around for Clark. Though they weren't necessarily friends, among the four people that Naruto had become regularly stuck with, he was the easiest to talk to. Ironic, considering their brief and rage filled history.

"Sure. Let's condone the acts of a juvenile."

"I'm not condoning them! I'm just making a point!" Chloe returned before she heaved a sigh, Lana laughing at their conversation.

"Who do you think wrote your note?" Pete questioned Lana, who shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Hey guys!" Clark greeted happily as they all began filing into a room, Clark placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Clark." Naruto returned as he greeted the alien being.

"So what's going on?" Clark questioned as they placed their belonging on the ground and sat down.

"Lana has a secret admirer." Chloe announced happily as she shrugged her shoulder, causing Naruto to roll his eyes. Even without that red ring controlling his speech and actions, it was still blatantly obvious that he liked Lana. Chloe had to know that and had to be preying on that fact as Clark tried to cover up the jealousy that spread across his face.

"What?"

"It's nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Chloe questioned as she removed her jacket. "What happened to romantic?"

"Look." Naruto stated as he grabbed the love note, glaring at Lana. She shrunk back, knowing how furious he was at having been robbed of the chance of catching her stalker. "Just let him read the note." Clark reached out and took the note with an unconvincing smile. He opened the note and quickly read over it before lifting his head.

"It's a little mushy."

"I almost forgot." Lana stated sassily, obviously wounded by how he had flirted so openly with Jessie before her disappearance around the same time Clark lost his ring. "Clark Kent, the Man of Steel." Naruto released a sigh and shook his head. If the girl knew how accurate that statement was, she would probably have kept her mouth shut. Clark swallowed hard, fighting against the tears that he wanted to let slip. "I'll see you guys later." Lana stated as she got up and left.

"I better follow her." Naruto spoke. "It's too dangerous for her to run around by herself with a stalker on the loose."

"Bye!"

"Bye."

_-The Talon-_

"It's a little personal." Nala spoke to a bald headed individual who held her note in her hand. Naruto stood, bored at the Coffee Shop. Nala had left the school and come straight to the shop, being berated by Naruto the entire way for being so careless. "Go ahead and read it, you'll probably think it's mushy like Clark."

Naruto had met the bald male once before. Walking forward, Naruto put his hands on the counter at the front of the shop. "Lex." The bald male smiled as he opened the letter that Nala had found. Lex had taken rather well to Naruto, sensing that he was a born leader. And a good person to have on hand as an ally.

"Hello, Naruto." The bald headed individual spoke as he read the letter. "The imagery is a little naive but the meaning is rather sophisticated. Who wrote this?" Lex questioned, prompting Naruto to chuckle.

"She doesn't know. She has what she thinks is a secret admirer. Some would say a person that needs to be found before they hurt someone. Either way, she found it at her parents grave. And she could've known who it was if she had had someone go with her." Lana rolled her eyes at the statement and began talking with Lex about poetry. As Lex began to recite a poem, Naruto began to think.

Originally he had though Clark was Lana's secret admirer. He had all the qualities. He liked her, he was a jerk. Then he wasn't a jerk, but he was still the prime candidate. But he had eliminated himself as a suspect. Lex seemed dumb to the letter, but his obvious love for poetry and the way the he and Lana looked at each other caused Lex to become the newest candidate. If her stalker ended up being either Clark or Lex, there wasn't really anything dangerous about them as far as she was concerned. And Naruto's time spent trying to locate the stalker would all have been for nothing.

"At least someone appreciates poetry." Lana stated, breaking Naruto from his reverie. The blond raised an eyebrow before looking over his shoulder to find Clark entering The Talon. The black haired teen smiled at his surrounding friends as he obviously came to talk to Lana. Lex remained for a second before handing Lana back her note.

"Kind of…. Raises the bar for any other contenders. Doesn't it, Clark?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. Either that was Lex poking fun at his friend, or that was hint that he was looking to pursue Lana as well. Either way, Lex Luthor was at the top of his list as Lana's stalker.

"I don't get what's so interesting about this poem." Naruto stated as he followed Lex, allowing Lana and Clark to speak in private. "It's words. It's not a wedding ring. It's not an eternal symbol of love or anything like that. How is this so wooing?" Lex smiled in response as they exited The Talon to the street where Lex's ferrari sat.

"Tell you what: You drive and we'll talk." Naruto caught the set of keys that was thrown his way. Shrugging, he walked to the side of the car. Even though he didn't have a license, it wasn't difficult to drive. And the police never stopped anyone in Smallville it seemed. Starting the car, they shot off down the street.

"You see, people don't like just objects for their affection. They like to know how much someone likes or loves them. The only way to project that feeling is if you use your words. If you verbally speak or write down how you feel. Poetry is one of the ways that it's done, you see? It's an ancient form of art that was once used for love. And it persists to this day. Tell me, Naruto, has there ever been anybody in your life that you really cared for?"

"There has."

"And are they gone now?"

"They are."

"Tell me this then. Are there things that you wish you could tell them now?" Naruto released a heavy sigh as he clenched the steering wheel of Lex's ferrari. "Take a right."

"Of course there is. There are things that I should have said a long long time ago that I will never get to speak. I didn't savor my time with the people close to me and they're gone now. Forever." Naruto returned as he took the right and then another, based on his passenger's directions.

"You see? Poetry could have put those words out there in the open. You could have said everything that you wanted to say to them in a few simple lines. Poetry is an important part of culture and is a dying art that is begging for revival. Right. Well, this has been fun, Naruto, but I have to get back to my father. Take a right and park."

Naruto did so and found that they were parked once again in front of The Talon. The two males exited the car, meeting in front of the hood. "Listen, Naruto. There's something that I like about you. I want to have you as a friend. Or at least a very good acquaintance. I feel like we'll be dealing with each other a lot in the future. If you ever need anything, let me know. Besides, any friend of Clark's is my friend."

Naruto nodded before asking for Lex's phone. The youth gave it to him and watched as he input a number. "I just got this phone yesterday. I'm planning on starting my… career soon. I'm going to need a way for people to get in touch with me. If I'm successful, we may very well be doing business in the future. Just know this Lex, my trust and respect is not easily earned. The mere fact that you are Clark's friend means nothing to me. Still… If you need anything, call. You can start earning my trust. Just know that I don't give services for free."

Lex laughed in response as he took his car keys and made for the driver's side door. "At least I know this, if this isn't the start of a friendship it's the start of a business relationship. We'll be in touch, Naruto. Do me a favor and make sure that Clark is safe. I feel like he's in a dangerous place right now." Naruto nodded in response as he stepped onto the sidewalk in front of The Talon before watching Lex's ferrari speed off down the street.

_-Smallville Graveyard-_

Naruto watched, uncomfortable in the night of Smallville. It was cold, and he was forced to sit silently in a tree as he had on so many shinobi mission in his reality. Lana had once again come to the graveyard, without notifying Naruto. It angered him greatly. He was beginning to think that she was just trying to meet her stalker at this point. Perhaps seeing Clark, someone she obviously has feelings for, flirting with someone like Jessie snapped something in her. Still, he had been hired to protect her and find her stalker. That was what he was going to do until they were either found or he was dismissed.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as a figure broke through the trees just as Lana began to stir. The girl had fallen asleep using her parent's headstone as a pillow. To some it would look like the girl was simply missing her parents and had fallen asleep spending time with them. However, to Naruto, it seemed like a desperate attempt to meet her secret admirer. "What am I doing?" Lana asked herself as she looked at her watch.

Naruto jumped from his perch on his tree and quickly moved through the forestry. The male figure stood, frozen as Lana picked herself up. As she caught sight of him, he dashed away in terror. "Wait!" Naruto leapt from the treeline, his arm slamming into the male's upper torso, sending him flying to the ground.

"You're not going anywhere." Naruto stated as he glared down at the boy.

"Naruto!" Lana exclaimed as she rushed over. "Don't hurt him!" The blond rolled his eyes and stepped away as she helped the boy to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." He replied shakily. Lana released a sigh of relief before speaking again.

"I read your other poem. It was beautiful." She stated as she retrieved his second poem from the ground, where he had dropped it in his terror.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. What's your name?"

"Byron." The boy replied.

"Like the poet?"

"Like my uncle. There's nothing poetic about him."

"Get away from her!" A voice called through the thick fog that rolled through the graveyard. Naruto's eyes widened as Clark came barreling toward them.

"Clark, no!" Byron released a frightened shout as he made to run away again, tripping over his feet before slamming onto one of the surrounding graves. He lay there, obviously in pain as Clark and Lana looked in shock.

"Jesus fucking christ!" Naruto exclaimed as they started toward the boy. "You can't just attack my target, Clark!" Clark looked to Naruto as Lana knelt down beside Byron, picking his head up off of the grave.

"Target?"

"Are you okay?" Lana questioned Byron.

"Yes, target! What do you think she hired me for? She was getting notes and she hired me as a bodyguard to 'protect' her. Now I know it was really just to find out who he was."

"Yes… I'm okay." Byron replied before he lost consciousness. Lana pulled her hand away from his skull and was appalled to find that blood now stained her fingers. Naruto stared at her fingers. The boy was obviously innocent. He didn't deserve to die. Naruto could heal him, but that would mean blowing the secret of who he actually was to Lana, and revealing more to Clark than he currently needed to know.

"We should get him to The Talon." Naruto suggested. "We'll get in trouble if we take him to a hospital. There will be questions. I figure we can at least get him bandaged up at The Talon."

_-The Talon-_

Naruto watched as the pale skinned teenager known as Byron ate food from a plate as he held an ice pack to the back of his skull. Naruto had stopped the bleeding with a rag and had 'acquired' materials from his 'house' to stitch the wound that had been caused up. "I can't believe I passed out." The boy stated.

"I'm sorry I scared you." Clark stated as he drank from a coffee mug. Naruto scoffed at the words but with glares from Clark and Lana he grimaced and spoke.

"I'm sorry that I did my job and clotheslined you. There, happy? Because that's as good as it gets."

"It's okay, Clark, Naruto. You two were protecting a beautiful young lady. It was chivalrous."

"Like I said, I was doing what I'm being paid to do. You can't really classify that as chivalrous."

Glancing to Lana, Byron spoke, "You're lucky to have such a great boyfriend." He stated, indicating to Clark, who smiled widely.

"Clark's just a friend." Lana stated, causing Clark's smile to drop and his features to become slightly disheartened.

"If I could write the beauties of your eyes… And number all the graces-"

"I wish that I could take the time to take lessons from a master poet but my task here is done. Lana, I've discovered your stalker. He's not a threat. You can leave the money in the mailslot of my apartment. I have places that I'd like to check out and I can't really do that staying here."

"Staying here?" Clark questioned. "You're leaving."

"For a time. Things are… too interesting here in Smallville to just leave it. But there are other interest places in the world."

"You've only been here four days."

"Because this is where my job was. It's not like we became best friends or anything. We're acquaintances, Clark. Like I said, I'm not leaving forever, just for a short time. I'll be back within a few months at most." Naruto looked to Byron and heaved a sigh. "You caused my a lot of trouble. I hope that everything works out for you. Clark, Lana, I'll see you when I return."

_-Naruto's Apartment-_

Naruto paused as he stared at the note attached to his door. It was, once again, addressed 'To Those Who Apply'. Tearing the note off of the door, he entered his apartment and began reading the note. "To All That Apply, this is the follow up note that was mentioned in the prior letter. For one night, assassins will fight for the right to kill this new 'hero' Batman. He must be killed on the date and by the time stated at the bottom of this note. Otherwise the five million dollar bounty is void. Be in Gotham by the addressed time. Happy hunting. Signed, Anonymous'."

Naruto stared at the note, memorizing the date and time before crumpling it up and throwing it across the room to join the original. "Four main story headlines. A hero appears named Green Arrow, followed by one named The Flash. Tony Stark is still missing and crime rate is dropping in Gotham." The blond haired teenager spoke to himself as he picked up a black duffel bag that he had already packed with his belongings.

"On a side note it appears that costumed people are popping up left and right. Criminals and vigilantes both. This world is beginning to become a lot more interesting. Let's see… I feel like I'd rather take a visit to see this 'Flash' before I head for Gotham to hunt 'Batman'. Clark moved incredibly fast. Perhaps they're the same type of alien being? Who knows. Only investigating will help me connect the dots in this world."

Glancing around the still barren living room of his apartment, Naruto felt a frown tug at his features. If he had stayed in his world, would he have settled down? Would he have been able to have a room full of actual furniture and not be surviving on money gifted to him by an assassin organization. "Now isn't the time for regret." Naruto spoke to himself as he opened the door to his apartment. "Now is the time to truly begin my quest to help this world rid itself of scum like Madara and Obito."

_-Central City-_

"You know, you're the second person with powers that I've met that has blown them in front of me." Naruto stated as he watched the Flash appear before him. When he arrived in Central City he had headed straight for a coffee house. Lana had gotten him somewhat accustomed to the taste of the drink over the few days he had been in Smallville. There he had seen a man pull another male to the side of the building and begin mugging him.

Naruto had started to intercept, but the man being mugged had ran his mouth constantly. Excited at the fact that he was being mugged. So the blond sat back and watched as the would be mugged man 'zoomed' around, taking his assailant's gun and clothes and placing a policeman next to him for him to be arrested. Naruto hadn't followed the man, but had instead entered the coffee shop and gotten coffee. The Flash was a much larger hero in Central City than he was elsewhere. The radio station Naruto had tuned into in Smallville had never even spoken of how fond they city was of The Flash.

Naruto had taken the next few hours getting himself accustomed to Central City so that he knew how to maneuver his new environment. Then, he had set about getting himself ready to introduce himself to the world. The Naruto that The Flash stared at was not someone that he would recognized.

Naruto wore a black hood and a metal half face mask that hid everything but his eyes from view. His eyes were Sasuke's signature red Sharingan and purple Rinnegan. He wore a black long sleeve shirt with elbow braces attached to his elbows. Over the shirt he wore a black military bullet proof vest. The neck of the vest was elongated to protect Naruto's throat and metal shoulder guards were attached to the tactile vest.

A katana was strapped firmly to his back, diagonally with the handle coming out over his right shoulder. He wore a pair of black combat pants with a belt that hung diagonally from his left hip to his right thigh. The belt held a holster with a holstered pistol. He had a black pouch strapped to his left thigh and a black strap on his right thigh that held a Kris knife. Metal knee braces had been incorporated into the knees for protection.

The combat pants went down to be tucked into a pair of red laced black combat boots with steel plates on the toes and heels. Strapped to the side of his left boot was a combat knife and strapped to his right boot was a very small pistol. "Who are you?" The Flash questioned Naruto. "Are you the one that was causing the havoc here?"

"You can call me Shinju." Naruto returned, using the name of the ancient tree that had basically caused every event that had lead to the catastrophes of his life back in his reality. "As for the havoc, no, it's not me. There's a man around the corner causing the electricity to go on the frits. If I were you, I wouldn't approach him. He-" The Flash barreled past Naruto, causing him to narrow his eyes. "- feeds on electricity."

The Flash walked forward, slightly stunned as he watched electricity transfer between a lone man and the power plant they resided in. "I'm pretty sure this is a restricted area!" He announced loudly as he figure he knew as Shinju leapt through the air and landed on a large storage box, looking down upon the scene with his mix matched eyes. The man stopped what it was he was doing with the electricity before turning to face The Flash with contempt obvious in his bizarre eyes.

Lightning shot across the area, causing The Flash to flash to another spot to stand. "Easy there zappy!" The red suited hero stated angrily with the rage showing on his exposed facial features.

"I have to feed." The man spoke in a possessed sounding voice, causing The Flash's eyes to widen with confusion. Electricity shot at the Flash with him zooming to escape being fried. He moved again as the man blasted his power at him, only the red themed hero was caught the third time. Naruto watched in interest as The Flash went down to one knee, gasping in pain as a yellow energy surrounded his body.

The electricity was suddenly cut off as The Flash shot forward. The disguised blond watched him move through the power plant, speeding and then coming to a sudden halt over and over. "More of that." The electricity user grunted. "I need more." He stalked after The Flash, still blissfully unaware of Naruto.

Naruto watched the bald man stalk after the hero. It was true that Naruto could have interfered and helped the red suited hero. However, he was more interested in seeing what the hero known as The Flash could do. Besides that, he had tried to warn the impulsive hero to be careful. He was simply too overconfident in himself and needed to be knocked down a peg or two. So, in the end, Naruto sat back and watched what unfolded before him.

The Flash tried to run away, only to have the man's electricity shoot through his chest. He screamed in pain as the yellow energy surrounded his body again and shot through the current to his assailant. It lasted a few seconds before the man released his barrage of electricity. "Too much…" He moaned as yellow pulsed through his body. "Too much…" The man turned and walked through the power plant with yellow veins pulsing throughout his body.

"Get out of there." A voice spoke through an intercom in The Flash's mask as Naruto dropped down near him. The red suited hero stood and attempted to flash away, only to find himself leaning against something, panting heavily. "Run Barry!"

"I can't." He responded as he pressed the com link on the side of his mask. "My speed… It's gone."

"Then maybe you should have listened to me… Barry." Naruto spoke as he grabbed The Flash by the back of his suit, supporting his weight as Naruto launched them into the air and to the roofs of the surrounding buildings.

"Who are you..?" The Flash questioned as he panted heavily, fighting against the pain that welled in his chest.

"I told you, you can call me Shinju. You should have listened. I wanted to see what The Flash could do, not see you get sapped of your powers."

"How do you know my name?"

"Because you're not the brightest costumed person in the world." Naruto returned from behind his metallic mask. "You use your powers openly. I watched what you did to the crook that tried to mug you. Roaming the city I find out that you're a criminal investigator. You live a full life, don't you, Barry?"

"You can't tell anybody-"

"Relax." Naruto responded as he glanced to the Flash whom he supported as he leapt from building to building. "Your secret is the second one that I've learned. And far less interesting." Barry sucked in a deep breath as pain racked his body. Then, he looked to the passing streets below.

"How are you doing this?"

"I can't tell my secrets to everyone." Naruto replied as he sailed through the air. "That would defeat the purpose of my costume… Now wouldn't it, Barry? Where am I taking you? You need to give me directions or we're just going to be jumping around Central City until we run into Mr. Electricity again."

_-S.T.A.R Labs-_

Naruto leaned against the wall of S.T.A.R Labs, watching disinterestedly as Barry ran on a treadmill, attempting to trigger his speed. "He runs slow even for a normal person." The man known as Cisco spoke as he watched the criminal investigator.

"That's because he isn't a normal person." Naruto stated, drawing their attention to him. "He's a speedster that just got all of his power sucked out of him. I wouldn't expect much from 'The Flash' anymore." The man in the wheelchair, said to be known as Dr. Wells grimaced at the blatant disregard for what he felt was his greatest creation.

"And who are you again? I don't recall you ever giving your name."

"Shinju." Naruto responded as he pushed off of the wall. Wells tensed in his chair as he observed the weapons that littered the disguised blonde's body. "Relax. It comes with my trade."

"And what is your trade? An assassin?"

"Assassin. Hero for hire. I prefer the term Shinobi." The blond returned as he handed a card to Wells with a number written on it. "Call me anytime. With your metahuman on the loose, I feel like you're going to need me." Naruto turned and made his way from the room they resided in. "I'll be in town for a few days. I would stay and help you, but I came to see what the Flash could do. Not watch him angst over the fact that he lost his powers."

Naruto left S.T.A.R Labs without any problems. After donning civilian clothes and hiding his new tactical suit, supplied by Ra's, he walked slowly down the sidewalk of Central City. A grimace was set in on his features as he pondered over what had occurred with The Flash. Perhaps he should have interfered with his battle after all. But he had assumed that Central City's great hero would be able to hold his own against one metahuman.

Now it seemed that his entire trip to Central City, much like his entire charade as Lana's bodyguard, was for nothing. The phone in his pocket buzzed violently and he quickly opened it and answered it. "Hello?" The blond answered. There were only four people in the world that had his number: Wells, Luthor, Lana and Clark.

"Hello." An unfamiliar gruff voice answered in response to Naruto, causing him to furrow his brow as he halted in place.

"Who is this?"

"Anonymous."

"You're the one that was sending the letters to me." Naruto answered as he glanced around, making sure that no one was listening in on him.

"I am."

"How did you find out where I lived? How did you find out about me? How did you get this number?" The voice on the other side of the phone laughed in response before answering.

"Calm down, kid. I don't know who the hell you are. I'm just the man issuing the bounty on the Batman. I sent a request to Ra's Al Ghul for his finest assassin and I was given your information. Active member of the League of Shadows or not, Al Ghul keeps very close tabs on you it seems. But this isn't about you. This is about The Batman."

"What about him?"

"I'm calling to make sure that you come to Gotham. I want ever assassin I've contacted here. I want that man dead for what he did to me."

"What'd he do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He ruined my life, that's what he did!" The voice answered angrily in response, the voice cracking as if it was a faux voice, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow. "Everyone thinks he's a myth. But he's not. I've run into him. And he almost cost me my life. So I'm going to cost him his life. Are you going to be here… or not?"

"I'll be there." Naruto responded harshly. If the Batman actually had injured someone, then he may very well have been a menace to society and needed to be dealt with aptly. "But don't contact me again. In any way shape or form. It's too dangerous because you leave everything in the open where people can find and hear them. You're careless. Rest assured, I'll be there." There was a chuckle on the other end of the line before the voice spoke once again.

"Good. Good. Remember the time. Remember the date. And remember your obligation to society. To wipe the menace known as Batman from the face of the Earth."

"Goodbye anonymous." There was laughter on the opposite end of the line before Naruto hung his phone up and placed it back in his pocket. Naruto glanced around Central City. With The Flash gone and no sign of the electricity freak, there wasn't really any reason for Naruto to be there anymore. In fact, he felt as if he should receive his belongings and head to Gotham City. Then, the lights of Central City began to flicker violently. Naruto looked around as they flash on and off before darkness consumed the city.

Naruto looked around as the sound of a gun firing in the night resounded loudly through the terrified silence that had formed with the disappearance of the lights. "Seems things just got more interesting." Naruto stated as a police car shot past him, its lights flashing brilliantly. Making sure there was no one watching, he leapt to the overhanging rooftops and made a mad dash for his hidden costume.

_-Central City Police Department-_

"What's going on here?" Naruto questioned who seemed to be the lead police officer outside of the precinct, who turned and widened his eyes at Naruto. He placed his hand on his gun and eyed the disguised blond cautiously. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Not The Flash." Naruto stated as he walked forward, past the police officer with his now mix matched eyes trained on the police department. "You can call me Shinju. Trust me, I'm here to help. What's going on in there?" The officer eyed him cautiously for a long moment before releasing a sigh and letting go of his weapon.

"We have a hostage situation in there. At least ten of them. We have two officers down." Naruto nodded in response as he moved forward. "Where are you going!? You can't walk through that front door, you'll be killing people!"

"I'm not going to walk through the front door." Naruto replied honestly as chakra coated his feet. He kicked off of the ground, sailing through the air as the police officers watched on in shock. His feet met the side of the building silently as his chakra allowed him to walk on the vertical surface. Rushing up the side of the building, he grabbed barred window and ripped the bars away. His body slipped through the newly created opening and into the precinct.

Naruto crept along the second floor of the precinct as he attempted not to alert the assailant to his presence. The man released a scream, obviously infuriated by the fact that his demands had not yet been made. Naruto reach the stairs down to the first floor and stopped cold as he heard a gunshot and a pained grunt. "Got him!" A voice stated before two more gunshots rang out. Naruto tilted his head and watched as a man wearing a bulletproof vest fell to the floor, bleeding.

Naruto reached to the pistol holstered on his hip. He'd have to conform to modern technology if he wanted to take the lunatic out quickly enough that no one else was hurt. "An officer was just shot nine point two seconds ago." The man announced, obviously speaking to the outside officers. "I'd hurry up and meet my demands if I were you." Naruto took a silent breath and then launched himself down the stairs in a falling arc.

Time slowed for him as his Sharingan and Rinnegan tomos whirled violently. The man holding the gun's face slowly gained a surprised look as Naruto began to squeeze his trigger. The man attempted to raise his weapon as Naruto watched his bullet explode from his gun. The entire ordeal was over in a matter of seconds, but Naruto watched for what felt like minutes to him as his bullet spun through the air before slamming into his target's skull.

Naruto flipped his body in midair as time returned to normal as the man he had shot's head snapped back violently. Naruto's feet landed on the ground just as his target's body slammed onto the same surface, no longer part of the living. Silence reigned as Naruto moved silently across the precinct's floor towards the injured officer. "Don't… Don't hurt him!" A girl cried in panic as Naruto knelt down beside him.

The blond glanced to her, his visage obviously intimidating her as he placed his gun back in his holster. "He'll bleed out if he doesn't get medical attention." Naruto stated as a green aura began to surround his hands. They roamed over the man's bleeding wounds and the surrounding people watched in shock and awe as they began to close up underneath the blonde's hands. "Lucky for you that these eyes know a few tricks besides destruction."

Naruto stood to his feet before walking to who he assumed was the girl's father and one of the more important police members. He picked the man to his feet, breaking his cuffs in one quick swipe. "But I'm only a novice at it. He's still going to need medical attention. I've really only stopped the bleeding." Naruto turned and began to exit the building before the man spoke.

"Who are you? I mean, thank you. We may not have survived without you. But who are you?"

"And where's The Flash?" The girl questioned, prompting Naruto to chuckle behind his metallic mask.

"Call me Shinju. And the Flash is currently… indisposed, I'm afraid to say." With those words, Naruto walked forward and exited the precinct. As he exited the doors guns were immediately trained on him. They dropped just as quickly as the police officers realized that it was the figure that had scaled the side of their police department building. "Hostage negotiations are over. Call off the demands." Naruto kicked high into the air and sailed onto a nearby rooftop. Naruto removed his metal mask and lowered his hood as he turned and observed the still chaotic scene at the Central City precinct.

His phone buzzed violently for the second time that day, causing him to answer it harshly. "I told you not to contact me again. Oh, it's you. And you'll pay me for it? Okay, just stall. I'll be there as soon as possible." Naruto replaced his mask and lifted his hood over his head before turning once again. "Maybe it was a good idea to show up in Central City after all."

_-S.T.A.R Labs-_

"I forgot that your game is chess. We're all just pawns to you, right?" Barry questioned Dr. Wells, angry that he had watched a man die right in front of him. Someone that shouldn't have died. "So what's your move, doctor? Which one of us gets sacrificed next?" He questioned with tears welling in his eyes.

"I do." A voice spoke as the figure Barry knew as Shinju entered their location. "You three evacuate. Figure out what's wrong with The Flash. Fix him. I'll take care of your metahuman problem." Dr. Wells nodded as the blond moved to find his target.

"It's my move, Barry. And I say that we get out of here. Shinju, can you escort us to the garage? It's the only way we'll escape?" Naruto paused before nodding. Reaching over his shoulder, he unsheathed his katana which was revealed to be entirely black.

"Let's hurry. I want to get back at this guy for taking my chance to see The Flash in action away." The three in the lab quickly evacuated, Wells giving directions to Naruto as they followed off behind him. Within no time they found themselves located within the garage of S.T.A.R Labs. Barry hurried ahead and started one of the many vans as Naruto prepped himself to battle his target.

"Come on, hurry up! Get in!" Barry called as he pressed the gas pedal, the van's engine revving. Naruto looked around suspiciously as the electric generator powered lights began to flicker. Then, everything died. The van died, Dr. Wells' wheelchair died and the garage door that had been opening for their escape. The metahuman appeared through an exit door and blasted the van that Barry sat in, causing him to exit the vehicle in pain.

"Oh my god! Barry, are you okay?" Naruto narrowed his eyes as the man stalked forward before he rushed forward, intercepting the man.

"Big mistake coming here."

"Who are you?"

"I'm really tired of answering that question." Naruto responded as he rushed forward. His sword struck out and severed one of the man's arms from his body, causing him to scream in pain. "And I'm tired of you skulking around this city, moaning 'Feed me more… Feed me more'. It's idiotic. You could've used those powers you have for good. But instead you used them for what you have. And now, you're nothing but a menace to society."

"Get fucked!" The man replied as he used his only arm to fire electricity at Naruto. Naruto dodged to the side and launched his sword at him. The electricity sailed past Naruto and straight to Dr. Wells, who was attempting to open the garage door.

"No!" Barry screamed as he watched the currents sail towards Wells. Naruto's tomos began spinning wildly as time slowed for the second time that day. Naruto watched in slow motion as Flash, who appeared to be going at a normalish speed, moved through the room. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he grabbed Wells and got him to safety. It seemed that, when he was using Superspeed, he moved regular time to Naruto's eyes while everything else moved in slow motion.

Time restored to normal as The Flash appeared, donned in his red suit as Naruto's sword pierced his target's knee. "Fuck this! Give me power!" The man screamed as he made to strike The Flash with his power draining abilities. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he shot across the room.

"I don't think so! Rasengan!" A spiralling blue ball of chakra slammed into Naruto's target's abdomen. He screamed in pain as the attack ripped through his abdominal area before launching him backwards. He slammed into an adjacent wall before sliding to the ground, leaving a large blood streak. A loud shriek was heard as the large hole in the man's abdomen was observed. Blood leaked from the man's mouth as he stared at Naruto in shock. Then, his head dropped.

The Flash's eyes widened and he moved to attack Naruto. However, as the disguised blond made his way to the man and ripped his sword from his leg, Dr Wells called out. "Barry!" The red suited hero glanced to the doctor, who shook his head with a grimace. "It was necessary. He couldn't have remained in the world without hurting people. There's no telling what could have happened if he had hit you with his abilities again. You may not like it, but he did the world a favor." The Flash looked down at the deceased metahuman before grimacing.

"I know. I… I know. I don't like it. I want to help people, not watch them die. Thank you." The Flash stuck his hand out and watched as Naruto shook it. "You really came through for us. I may not like your ways, but… If you ever need help, just let me know. I'll be there in a flash." Naruto nodded in response as he flicked the blood off of his blade and sheathed it.

"And if you ever need me, your friend has my number. Speaking of which, the address I want the money shipped to is on the back of that card." Dr. Wells nodded in response as he produced the white object and flipped it over.

"I'll make sure that it gets to you as soon as possible." The Flash looked around before his eyes widened.

"The precinct." Naruto turned and looked at The Flash.

"You don't-" Naruto's eyes narrowed as the red suited hero zoomed away, through the low opened garage door. "-have to worry about that. You would think that he would have learned a lesson from this entire ordeal." Turning around, Naruto glanced to the doctor in the wheelchair. "It's been entertaining, but I need to start getting ready to leave. Different places to be. Make sure The Flash stays in good health from now on. Next time I'm in Central City I want to know exactly what he can do." With those words, Naruto turned and exited the garage, ducking down under the same garage door that The Flash had exited.

Naruto traversed the city of Central City from the rooftops as he traveled to where he had hidden his duffel bag buried underneath a dumpster in an unpaved alley. However, as he pulled the bag from the ground, his eyes narrowed as he stared at a pink sticky note attached to it. The note only spoke two word. 'We're watching.' "I'm going to assume this isn't Ra's." Naruto stated as he threw the note into the dumpster, shouldering his duffel bag before launching himself to the overhanging rooftops. As he neared the exit of Central City, a red flash shot through the streets below. A smile crossed Naruto's features underneath his mask as he crossed city borders.

"This world is taking a turn with people like Barry and Clark. For the better." A frown crossed his features and his brow furrowed. "But now's not the time for good feelings. Now is the time to get myself ready. To kill the myth known as the Batman." Naruto's eyes bled away into blue as he sped towards the city known as Gotham.

_End Chapter_

For Naruto's costume, picture the hood and mask like Retro Scorpion/Sub Zero from Mortal Kombat, except with the mask covering his lower face looking like Winter Soldier's cinematic mask. Mostly everything should be pretty easy to picture. The Kris knife is basically Jason Todd's comic book curved knife. The knife in his boot is basically Bucky Barnes' combat knife. So, where are we going from here? The Gotham Series? No. Back to Smallville? Later. But next? Arkham Origins.


	3. Chapter 2: Batman Origins

Naruto breathed a cold breath of air as he stood at the city limits of Gotham. It was cold, and a thick fog was rolling through the city. Naruto took a deep breath through his nose and smelt death and decay. "I guess if there's any place to start your career as an assassin," The blond spoke as he adjusted his duffel bag, which held his costume inside, "Then the city with the most crime rate is the place to start."

Naruto stepped across the city limits border and began his descent into the heart of Gotham. His eyes were constantly shooting back and forth as he anticipated any type of sneak attack on his person. Glancing to the sky, Naruto observed the overhanging moon before heaving a sigh. "Tomorrow, hunting begins."

Chapter 2

Batman Origin

"Who are you?" Batman questioned the mysterious figure that stood before him. He had just defeated Deathstroke and Penguin was getting away. He needed to catch Cobblepot before he was out of his grasp. He had more questions for the small time villain. The figure returned his cold glare with a pair of mix matched red and purple eyes.

"Shinju."

"I've never heard of you." Batman stated in his gruff voice as the figure before him nodded their hood covered head.

"I would assume not. You know, I have to commend you. I've been following you around since you fought that crocodile man. You've performed some amazing feats. Saved a few people in the process. Like that man that the short cigar smoker was torturing. I'm glad you did, because I was about to reveal myself too early." From underneath his hood, Naruto looked down upon Slade's battered body. "But you saved people for a selfish reason. You just want to take out the man that put the bounty on your head."

Naruto reached over his shoulder and removed his katana. It was obvious that the man before him didn't have any superpowers. He was just a regular man in a bat costume. Considering the fact that he had saved people in his conquest to find the man known as 'Black Mask', Naruto had decided that he would give the man the luxury of facing him in strictly physical combat. "My employer says that you caused him a great deal of trauma."

"Black Mask?" Batman questioned. "Have you met him?" Naruto paused. He had not met his employer to date. The only conversation he had held with the man was over his cell phone. He didn't know what the man looked like and had given him the benefit of the doubt that 'Black Mask' was simply a name to hide his identity from the Batman.

"I haven't. But I don't have to meet a victim to take down their assailant." Batman narrowed his eyes as he dropped into a fighting stance. The man before him was very dangerous, he could tell that much. But, at the same time, it seemed that the man thought that he was doing good. He thought he was doing the same thing to Batman that Batman had done to Deathstroke. Put away a menace to society.

"Listen to me." Batman spoke as Naruto circled around him, twirling his sword dangerously. "Whatever you've been told, it was a lie. Black Mask is a mafia boss. An underground king. He's the menace to society and he's put a bounty on my head to get rid of me. I'm just trying to save my city." Naruto paused at the statement before shaking his head.

"That may be true. But I can't take that risk. Look at it from my point of perspective. I'm starting my career helping my society by taking out a menace and being paid fifty million dollars to do it. If you were in my place, would you really believe the word coming out of a man's mouth that was dressed in an armored batsuit..?" Batman grimaced at the words before the assassin known as Shinju rushed forward.

He ducked down under the hooded figure's sword as it came inches from decapitating him. He launched himself into the air and kneed his attacker in his back. Unlike the enemies that he was accustomed to fighting, Shinju didn't budge at the assault. Instead, he spun and swiped Batman's legs out from underneath him. The bat themed man slammed onto his back before rolling away moments before his enemy impaled him on his sword. The Batman grit his teeth together as he shot forward and slammed his fist into his opponent's face.

To his merit, Naruto's head snapped to the side before his knee slammed into his target's abdomen. Batman doubled over in pain as all oxygen was sucked from his body. He stumbled away and threw batarangs at his assailant. Naruto allowed a smirk to grace his features under his half face mask as he brought his sword through the air in an arc. The black blade sliced through the projectiles as the Batman launched himself through the air.

Smoke bombs exploded at Naruto's feet and his mask filtered the air to make it breathable. A smirk graced his features once again. Due to the fact that this alternate reality didn't have chakra, he couldn't see people's inner core with the Sharingan. With the smoke surrounding him, he was completely blind. The blond slowly closed his eyes. His ears listened intently to the silent night. And then he heard the foot hit the ground. Stepping backward, Batman's fist sailed straight in front of his still closed eyes.

Spinning, his foot struck out and slammed into his target's hip. Batman grit his teeth as he stumbled. Naruto leapt into the air, lashing out with his foot. The appendage slammed into the side of Batman's head and the crime fighter stumbled. As he attempted to gain his footing, his opponent's sword pierced his armor and his body before he was able to escape the bladed weapon. The figure known as Shinju flicked the blood off of his blade.

"You're making a big mistake." Batman ground out through his teeth. "I'm not a bad guy. I'm just trying to do the right thing for my city! And I'm not going to let you get in the way of that. If you don't believe me, then I'm going to knock you out of my way to protect my city. Even if it means that I have to break every single bone in your body to do it." Naruto paused in his tracked as he bared down on the Batman.

Those were along the exact same lines of what he had said to Sasuke all those years ago. When the world was still innocent to them, and Naruto was prepared to be a hero. But not by killing. It was true that he only knew the Batman as a menace, but Kakashi Hatake had been a menace to opposing shinobi villages in his reality. If he killed the Batman, and the Batman was actually trying to contribute to society, then Naruto would regret it. He would kill those who needed to be killed. But he wouldn't kill an innocent. Especially if they were working to the same goal.

"You have an hour to prove it to me." Naruto shot harshly as he sheathed his sword. "And I promise you that if you don't prove to me that my employer is the menace, then you are the menace. I think I proved it here that I can remove your head from your shoulders, and if you're lying to me, if you're what Black Mask has said you are, then I'm going to kill you. Without a second thought, I'm going to take one of my knives and ram it into your throat!"

Batman grunted as who he knew as Shinju grabbed him by his shoulder and shoved him forward. He wanted to dispatch the man, but it seemed that he was far out of his league. There was no way that he was going to take the hooded figure down. At the very least, he wasn't going to be able to take him down on his own. And he didn't seem to have anyone on hand that would be able to assist him in taking down Shinju.

"First thing's first." Batman spoke in his deep gruff voice as he winced from the pain in his abdomen. Admittedly, Naruto could have stopped his bleeding. But he still didn't know if the bat themed man was a 'good guy'. He wasn't going to take the chance in case the man had something hidden in one of his gauntlets. "We have to catch the penguin. He wouldn't have gotten far. He's too arrogant to have."

"Why do you need to get to him?" Naruto questioned, causing Batman to heave a sigh.

"I still have questions to ask him. He may know where Black Mask is and I'm going to find out. If you want to know the truth about what's going on here, you're just going to have to trust me for the time being. I can't just show you proof that clears my name and incriminates Black Mask. Even though you should consider the fact that he was the one that hired you to kill me. Not the other way around."

"I know. That's why you're going to prove to me that you're not who Black Mask told me you were." Batman grimaced in response to the statement.

"You're going to have to keep up with me." Naruto glanced to Batman before indicating for him to lead the way.

"Like I said earlier: I've been following you ever since you fought that crocodile monster. Everywhere. I haven't lost track of you for one moment. Trust me, I'm more than capable of keeping up with you, Batman." Naruto watched as Batman hesitated for a moment before walking and kneeling to the ground to create some type of new machinery.

Then he lead the way for Naruto. They maneuvered the base until they reached the double doors that Batman assured him Penguin was behind. "Batman jingled the door and slammed his shoulder against it, though there seemed like there was no budge to it whatsoever. A livestream of the Penguin showed up on a movie screen behind them, causing Naruto to narrow his eyes as the annoying pest began speaking.

"You'll have more luck gettin' into a nun's skivvies than gettin' into this room. Go on then. Beat it a bit harder. Really make me feel it. Well, as you can see, I got me 'ands full. 'ave a Merry Christmas, and piss off." Then he released an annoying laugh. Batman raised his hand to his ear and spoke.

"See if you can any information on the murder at Lacey Towers." There was silence before an elderly voice echoed back.

"Looks like the police are on the scene now, sir. Oh, and this is interesting: They're saying Black Mask is the victim." Naruto's eyes widened. Gotham was throwing him for a loop. He was finding it very difficult to decipher who was who and what should be done.

"Black Mask- dead? I'm on my way now." Growling, Naruto turned and slammed his fist into the double doors Batman couldn't open.

They burst open and Penguin released a horrified scream as Naruto stalked forward. "Merry Christmas to you too." He spat harshly as his fist slammed into the Penguin's face, knocking him unconscious and sending the two girls that were in the room with him running away in terror.

"We could have asked him questions!" Batman exclaimed angrily from his place still outside of the doors, having been too stunned by the sudden turn of events to register what was happening. Naruto glared at him as he stalked by.

"That bastard has nothing to do with this. I'm getting more and more pissed off with each passing second. Your time is running out. If we're going to investigate Black Mask's death, you better start leading the way before I say your time has run out." Batman glared in response and jerked forward, grabbing Naruto's throat in his hand.

"You think because you can beat me you scare me? You don't. If I have to fight you I will find a way to put you out of this equation." Naruto released an annoyed noise as he slammed his hand into Batman's chest, applying chakra to the quick attack. Batman went down to one knee, gasping for breath.

"Do you want to fight? Or do you want to go and investigate this entire thing about Black Mask? Either works for me, to be honest with you. With the insanity happening here and Gotham, I'm starting to not care who the hell I have to take out to get the fuck out of here." Batman glared at the figure he knew as Shinju as he stood to his feet and reared his fist back violently. Then, he lowered his fist with gritted teeth.

"Follow me. And keep up. The sooner that I get rid of you, the better it is for Gotham City." Naruto rolled his neck with a sickening crack. Quickly, Batman exited the building they were in with Naruto following closely behind. The bat themed vigilante launched himself through the air, somewhat hoping that he would lose the hooded individual on their way to the tower. Unfortunately for him, Naruto rushed through the streets below, launching himself from building to building.

It wasn't long before they found themselves on a building nearby their destination. However, there appeared not to be a way in. Batman kneeled to one knee and produced a gadget, causing Naruto's eyes to narrow. "What are you doing now?" Naruto questioned the man, who grunted in response. Batman rolled his neck, cracking it loudly.

A few moments later, a voice spoke from the inside of Batman's cowl. "Rubio- what's your twenty?" It questioned.

"Radio frequencies." The bat themed man answered in response, causing Naruto to nod in response.

"On the balcony for a smoke with Jimenez." A second voice answered back as two men appeared on the balcony of the tower across the street, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow. That was a useful tool to have it seemed.

"Those men on the balcony." Batman stated as he brought out his grappling hook and aimed it at a gargoyle on the side of the building. "That could be our way in."

"Open and shut case. Penguin murdered Black Mask and his lady friend." A voice stated over Batman's com link, causing Naruto to narrow his eyes. If that were true, the blond should have slit the long beaked pest's throat instead of just punching him in the face. "I mean we found the bastard's stubby little fingerprints right by the bodies.

"Yeah, we got Penguin now. Like to see him squirm outta this one. Fingerprints. Two dead bodies. He's 'bout to do some time."

"Yeah. 'cept forensics'll take all the credit- and I'm the one who found the prints."

"That's why they call it first response. First pickin's on the loot, but none of the glory. Me? I'd take the loot over the glory any day."

"That's enough waiting." Naruto growled harshly as he blasted himself off of the roof they resided on and found himself behind the two guards. They turned around at the sudden noise. Naruto's elbow smashed into one's face, sending him stumbling over the railing. Batman's eyes widened as he ziplined to catch him. Naruto leapt forward, his knee slamming into the second guard's abdomen. The man stumbled over before Naruto's elbow smashed into his neck. He slammed into the ground harshly before Naruto turned.

The Batman glared hatefully as he stalked forward. "You could have just cost that man his life."

"It wouldn't have been the worst thing I've done." Naruto replied. "In my defense he didn't sound like the most trustworthy cop to have on the payroll."

"That doesn't matter. Lives are lives and they shouldn't be taken. Do you know anything about death?" Naruto smiled coldly at Batman underneath his mask, his eyes blazing angrily as he stepped forward.

"Do I know death? Do I know anything about death? I have watched people I fought beside die. I have seen the burial of many people that were precious to me. I've seen my brother die in combat. You have the gall to ask me about death? I know a lot about death, Batman. And one of the things that I know very well is that you're about to die if you don't shut the fuck up and prove to me that you're not the bad guy in this scenario."

Batman narrowed his eyes and pointed dangerously at Naruto's half masked face. "Watch yourself. I've already told you, if I have to find a way to beat you,I will." Naruto chuckled in response and motioned to the door of the building.

"Your time is ticking away, Batman." Batman glared in response before entering the door, followed by his hooded adversary. They silently walked through the hallways, avoiding any police personnel that may have been around before finding the room in which Batman suspected was the homicide room. There they found the body. Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously. If his employer was dead then he wouldn't be payed for Batman's death. At the same time, if Batman was a menace he needed to be taken care of anyway.

"The police believe that Penguin murdered Black Mask." Batman spoke to the hooded figure in the room with him as he observed the body laid out before him. "But why would he send me here if he was the killer? It doesn't add up."

"Perhaps he's proud of the crime. I'm telling you, after I'm finished with you I should go back and take that smug little-" Naruto stopped mid sentence as Batman's mask's eyes began to change colors.

"This crime took place days ago." The bat themed man stated as Naruto assumed he was using some type of scanning technology. "The fire and the exposure to the elements make identifying victims difficult. The male victim is wearing a black mask, but I can't positively identify him as Roman Sionis without a DNA analysis- something I can't do in the field." Naruto frowned as he filed away Black Mask's real name for later uses.

Turning around, Batman moved across a room to where a girl was hanging with her hands tied to a chandelier, dead. Naruto grimaced at the sight. "I can identify the female victim based on her fingerprints: Tiffany Ambrose. Roman Sionis girlfriend- or one of them, at least." Looking to Naruto, Batman elaborated on her. "She was no angel. Long list of priors. But nothing to indicate she was the target here."

Batman once again glanced throughout the room before looking to the floor. "The fire spread as a result of a Molotov cocktail thrown into the room. It may have been intended to destroy evidence." Naruto sighed as Batman turned and walked to the male's dead body. He was beginning to feel as though he was living in a game of 'Clue'. "The shallow trajectory of the bullet suggests the shooter could be someone of Penguin's height."

"So that's it, right? Penguin did it? I go and get revenge on him-"

"Not exactly. The grooves in the floor suggest that the victim was killed by someone leaning back in a chair." Naruto raised an eyebrow in response. Batman turned and made his way to the female body before speaking again. "Ballistics analysis indicates a low angle of trajectory. The shooter could have been someone of Penguin's height. But the pattern in the gunpowder residue suggests the bullet was actually fired by someone lying on the ground."

"What about the fingerprints the police were talking about then?" Naruto questioned. This Batman character was actually starting to intrigue him. Though he didn't necessarily like detective work himself, he found it fascinating to watch the bat themed man do what he did best it seemed. The Batman turned and walked to a wall, analyzing the fingerprints.

"The fingerprints are a match for the Penguin. But they're on top of the soot from the fire. The cops were right- Penguin was in the room. But these prints prove he was here after the murders were committed." Naruto's eyes widened.

"I find it intriguing how you were able to come through all that simply by looking around in that mask… Okay, Batman. You have my attention now as someone besides a may be assassin. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt until you prove me wrong. But if the Penguin didn't commit the murders, then who did?"

"That's a good question." Batman stated, somewhat relieved that, as long as the hooded man was true to his word, he didn't have to worry about a sword being rammed through his back while he attempted to make it through the night alive. "But the only thing I know for certain is that Tiffany's shooter was lying on the floor. But why?"

Naruto made a noise in the back of his throat before gesturing to the crime scene. "I'm not quite sure. But you have the technology in that mask to figure something out." Batman nodded in response as he looked around before pointing to the ground.

"These white streaks are shoe polish. Whoever shot Tiffany was being dragged along the floor." Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion as he attempted to follow along with what it was Batman was seeing inside of his cowl. "Besides the victims, there were two other people in the room: Tiffany's shooter, and whoever was dragging the shooter."

Batman moved across the floor to a broken desk before speaking once again. "The DNA here doesn't belong to either of the victims."

"Then whose DNA is it?" Naruto questioned in response, though he got no answer as Batman continued to examine the scene.

"The fight broke out when someone startled the shooter. It's not clear who won the fight. It could have been either one of them." Glancing around, the Batman spoke once again. "Fabric analysis indicates the intruder was wearing a white suit or a sport jacket. This fabric swatch could help identify the intruder, but I still can't identify the male victim's shooter. There's one impact area I haven't checked for clues."

"The why are you telling me?" Naruto questioned as he began to grow impatient. Again, it was somewhat amazing to see the myth that was Batman snooping around the crime scene and investigating. For a man Naruto had almost killed not even an hour ago, he was someone that Naruto felt was rather important to the world. Even if they didn't see eye to eye. "Check it."

Batman glared at Naruto from behind his ever changing tinted eyes as he walked across the room. "This DNA is from the female victim. The level of oxidation suggests it has been here for several days." Looking around, Naruto spotted a phone lying on the ground. Walking over, he kneeled down and tilted his head.

"Maybe this is something important." Naruto stated. Batman glanced over and observed the phone.

"She was sending text messages to Roman Sionis- about someone named 'The Joker'." Batman looked around before speaking again. "Someone killed Black Mask- but this crime took place several days ago- and I saw Black Mask earlier tonight. The only answers we have raise more questions: Who is 'the Joker'? Was he the killer here? Or is he one of you assassins? We have a body, an unknown shooter, and an unknown assailant who attacked the shooter. I need to match the DNA samples against the record in National Criminal database to identify who was in the room." Reaching up, Batman pressed the side of his mask, activating his com link.

"I need access to the National Criminal database." There was silence for a moment before Naruto heard an elderly voice over the com link.

"Well, the only way to do that would be to infiltrate the Gotham City Police Department."

"Then that's where we're going."

"We're?"

"It's a long story." Naruto sighed as he listened to Batman speak to his helper.

"I'm going on ahead to the GCPD." Naruto stated hastily. "Meet me there. You have an hour to get there. Give or take a few minutes. Don't keep me waiting, Batman. Just because you've peaked my interest doesn't mean that you're off the hook. I'm still looking for any chance that I can get to label you the bad guy here."

_-Gotham City Police Department-_

When Batman entered the roof door of the GCPD, he was already expecting to see the hooded assassin turned temporary ally. After all, there had been a police officer laying unconscious just outside of the door. So it came as no surprise when he closed the door behind him and found himself staring into the man he knew as Shinju's eyes. "When I gave you an hour, I didn't think you'd use that time so liberally."

"I had to pick up a new weapon on the way here. To make sure that I don't harm officers." Naruto stared at him for a moment before nodding. If there was one thing nice that Batman could say after his time with the hooded figure, is that in his own sick and twisted way he was trying to look out for innocents just like Batman himself was.

They walked down a set of stairs before coming around a corner. Batman glanced to a wall and made to spray explosive gel on it. Naruto intercepted and shook his head. Then, he reared his hand back with chakra coating it. His fist slammed into the wall, sending it flying in all directions with a loud noise. "Hey, did you hear that?" A voice spoke.

"Yeah. Probably another water pipe bursting. Love to go take a look, but you know, my shift's over."

"Loeb- Loeb understood. The problem is, Gordon ain't a team player." Naruto tuned the voices of the corrupt cops out. As much as he wanted to find them and dispatch them, he listened to Batman as they made their way down through the building in what was very much like an elevator shaft.

"This won't be easy. But if we're going to access the Nation Criminal database and find out what happened at Lacey Towers, we need to find the server room, without being discovered." From the elevator like shaft, they silently made their way through the precinct in the ventilation system with Batman silently ripping vents from the wall.

"You could have had a career as an assassin, you know?" Naruto questioned as they came to watch one police officer giving the others a talk. It was the man that Naruto assumed was 'Gordon'.

"Yes, but I'm not keen on taking lives like an animal." Batman shot back quietly over his shoulder before listening in on the conversation.

"There's nine assassins in town tonight. From the info we've been gathering, they are among the most dangerous criminals on record- period. After interrogating Waylon Jones, we've learned that they're all competing for a huge bounty which Black Mask has offered for the head of the Bat.

"Where do we sign up?" One cop questioned before laughing.

"I thought he was a ghost!"

"Alright, cut the chatter people! Our goal is to ensure order in this city. So our number one priority becomes bringing in the bat before these assassins get to him. Now. The closer it gets to morning, the more desperate the assassins will grow- and if he's still out there- the more damage they'll cause to the city, as they try to find or attract him. Alright, dismissed."

"Sounds like you're a menace even if you aren't." Naruto stated.

"I don't work closely with the police." Batman returned as he shot out of the vent, violently taking his aggression towards the hooded blond out on a police guard that had been in the vent's way.

"Must you be so brutal, sir?" The elderly voice questioned over Batman's com link, prompting Naruto to grimace behind his mask. He was getting tired of interruptions. He wanted to get to the body of the entire scenario he was involved in and get away from the Batman. "These are city employees."

"They're as corrupt as they come, and they're in my way." Batman returned, causing Naruto to glare at him. Batman had grown angry with him when he had used corruption as a basis for violently attacking an officer. Yet he used the same excuse. Naruto once again began tuning out Batman's talk with whoever was on the other end of his com link.

The two temporary allies made their way to a balcony where Batman used one of his gadgets to create a tight line for them to walk across. "I can take them out." Naruto stated as he looked down at the crowd of police officers below him. Batman grimaced.

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. If you go down there and attack them, they'll start shooting. And if they start shooting, it'll cause alarm. Remember, we need to get to our destination without being detected." Naruto himself grimaced behind his mask as they walked across the line that Batman had made. To the blond, it almost seemed as if he was learning more about stealth from his target turned ally than he had in the shinobi world.

Reaching the other side, Naruto dropped down before rushing forward and taking an armed guard by surprise. His hands grabbed onto either side of the man's skull and a sickening crack was heard as his neck snapped to the side before he crumpled to the floor. Batman rushed to Naruto and grabbed him by the front of his bulletproof vest. "What are you doing!?" He questioned angrily before Naruto brushed his hands away.

"Don't give me any bullshit. You're just as rough on these men as I am."

"I haven't killed one." Batman shot back angrily, causing Naruto to smirk underneath his mask.

"How do you know?" Batman's eyes widened and he recoiled, as if struck. Then, his face returned to normal and he brushed past his hooded adversary. Naruto and Batman continued through the building without any further obstacles. As they entered the investigation room, they found a police officer interrogating a man.

"So what does this disruptor of yours do?"

"Little bit of this, little bit of that. Mostly though, it does a whole lot of none of your damn business."

"You wanna play it like that? Alright. Maybe I'll have the guys over at evidence lockup take a look. They can get kinda rough, though. Hope it's not fragile." With those words, Batman burst through the glass, wrapping his arms around the investigating officer and knocking him unconscious.

"Not you again!" The man cried as he stood to his feet, holding his hand out, obviously frightened.

"Friend of yours?"

"Old acquaintance." Batman returned as he grabbed the man by his throat, lifting him off of the ground. "Talk. Or you won't be walking anywhere. Ever."

"No way! You gotta answer for droppin' me off that rooftop, buddy!"

"No. You have to answer to me. How does the disruptor work?"

"Ask one of the pigs! They got it in evidence lockup!"

"How about we take a little walk up to the roof?"

"Okay! Okay! You win! It… It jams weapons, overrides electronic locks, alright? Now… you gonna let me go?"

"How'd that work out for you last time?" Batman questioned before punching the man unconscious. Naruto watched the scene disinterestedly. As far as interrogation went, Batman had nothing on the things that Naruto had seen in his reality. Suddenly, he felt something buzz violently. Reaching into his pocket, he removed his phone from his pocket, furrowing his brow.

"Change of plans, Batman. I was just contacted by 'Black Mask'. He's calling the assassins together at Gotham Royal Hotel. Come there when you're done here." Batman nodded in response as he reached into his utility belt and produced a com link.

"Since we're temporary allies, contact me if anything happens." Naruto nodded in response.

"Let me know what you find out about that crime scene."

_-Gotham Royal Hotel-_

"Shinju, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Naruto responded as he hid in a janitors closet, keeping an eye out for any of the other assassins. "That was quick. What'd you come up with?"

"By now, Gotham P. D. thinks Roman Sionis is dead- the casualty of a turf war. Murdered by the Penguin. But I know better. Someone spooked Sionis' girlfriend. So he sent her to his safe house. Which was anything but safe. Sionis showed up later, ready for trouble. And found it. Or so it seemed. Roman's alway been paranoid. It's probably why he's lasted this long. "He'd sent in a decoy, giving him the element of surprise.

"But it wasn't enough. There was a fight. Sionis lost. The killer didn't hesitate to shoot the decoy, but he wanted Sionis alive. To access the cash stored at the Gotham Merchants Bank. With Sionis under control all that remained was to tie up loose ends. But it wasn't the fire that killed Sionis' girlfriend. What kind of monster forces a man to kill the ones he loves…? The Joker. He's the shadow we've been chasing. Now I know where he's going next. Gotham Merchants Bank."

"Clever. So the man that put the bounty on you wasn't Black Mask, but the Joker, who has Black Mask held captive."

"Exactly."

"If that's true, then you really aren't the bad guy… Look, the assassins are still gathering here. I'll make sure that any who show up stay here. You go after this Joker. I want this night to end already."

"Batman out." Naruto walked out of the closet and began walking around. Any assassins that had come to the hotel were making it a task to avoid one another. However, they were taking liberty in killing the hotel staff, whose bodies now lined the floors.

"This… This is the cause that I was working for?" Naruto questioned in disgust as he shook his head. "I can't believe that I almost killed the Batman. I see him for what he is now. He's a good man under that mask. I don't agree with him on everything, but he's a good man. Doing good deeds. And I almost killed him. The Joker's going to pay for this."

Naruto roamed the halls of Royal Hotel restlessly as he waited for something else to occur. The assassins continued to avoid each other, or at the very least Naruto. However, it wasn't long before the entire hotel was filled with mobsters and SWAT members that booby trapped the building. Naruto got a message from The Joker that he needed to report to the 'conference room', just as Batman's voice spoke in his ear. "I'm here."

"Good. Something's about to go down. The Joker has something planned."

_-Conference Room-_

Naruto stood silently in the room with the other assassins that were still present. "Friends, assassins. Welcome to our first quarterly performance review." The man that Naruto would have known as Black Mask stated as he paced with his hands clasped behind his back. As you can see here," He stated indicating to charts with juvenile drawings on them, "Batman deaths are coming in far below projections."

The man began to laugh but stopped himself. "We are really going to have to turn this around." He stated as he walked toward the Electrocutioner, who was playing on a phone. The Joker reached up and removed his mask, throwing it onto Electrocutioner's phone as his voice changed. "And by we, I mean you!"

"Got that, Mr… Cutioner?"

"Just who the hell are you?" The scarred man questioned.

"I'm the guy with the money, and the gun." The pasty skinned, white faced clown stated as he removed a pistol from his jacket and aimed it at the man, who held his hands up in surrender. The Joker fired wildly around the room, laughing insanely before speaking again. "So when I hire you to kill the Batman, you shut the hell up and kill the Batman. Do you have anything else to contribute? I didn't think so." With that, Joker kicked the Electrocutioner and his chair out of the window of the room they were in, where he plummeted to his death.

"Mmmm… This fruitcake is fantastic!" The Joker announced as he held a rather large knife while Naruto gritted his teeth. He didn't care about the death of the assassin. He just wanted to get his hands on the man who had tricked him into accepting the mission that he had. The Joker turned and stabbed his knife into the table they all stood and sat around as he grinned grotesquely. "Anyone want a piece? Alright. Meeting adjourned. Go out there and kill the Bat."

With that, the remaining people began leaving, except for the assassin known as Bane and Naruto. Joker turned around and grinned. "Well? Move it along big boy, scorpio."

"No." Bane stated as he sat with his arms crossed. "He's coming for you now. And when he gets here, I'm going to kill him."

"I'm afraid not." Naruto returned as he unsheathed his sword.

"What's this?" Joker questioned, acting to be aghast. "Descension amongst my subjects? Why, woah is me! Well, big guy, looks like you get to warm up before Batman gets here." The Joker released an insane laugh and danced around the room as Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, clown. I'm going to kill you for deceiving me." The Joker laughed louder as Bane stood to his feet, towering over Naruto.

"You're not going to be killing anybody ever again puny bitch." Naruto smirked as underneath his mask as Bane swung at him. Naruto ducked to the ground and rolled before launching up. His sword sliced through Bane's leather jacket, though didn't puncture his body. The large man reacted quicker than Naruto assumed he would, ripping his katana away and shattering it over his knee. "What now, bitch?"

"Now I kill you." Naruto responded as he leapt forward. Bane fist came down upon Naruto, whose blue chakra coated hand caught it. The blond twisted under his arm and jerked the man's arm violently. Bane grit his teeth with a pained growl before tossing his opponent across the room. Naruto's body slammed into the wall as Bane rushed forward. Naruto lifted his head, fire dancing in his eyes as Bane bowled past the guards that were now surrounding him. "Oh fuck this!"

Naruto leapt into the air, over Bane, his hand flipping through hand seals before bringing his hand to his mouth. Fire shot from his mouth, roasting the Joker's surrounding security force as the clown themed man laughed loudly, clapping his hands together. "Oh thank you! Thank you! I was getting kind of cold in here!" Naruto rolled along the floor as he flipped through more handsigns. Bane charged forward and Naruto grinned.

"Chidori Nagashi!" Bane cried out and slammed violently into a wall as electricity shot through his body. Naruto took control of the situation and shot forward. His hand wrapped violently around the Joker's throat. "Let's take a trip up." Naruto growled before he blasted them to the roof of the building with his chakra. The Joker laughed wildly as he was sent skidding across the rooftop.

"Oh, this is so exciting! Am I going to die!? Are you going to die!? Is anyone going to save money with Geico!?" Naruto narrowed his eyes and dodged to the side as Bane came barreling through the ground. The large man made a mad grab for Naruto, who dodged away as Batman glided to the rooftop. His fist slammed into Bane's jaw, causing him to growl as he grabbed the Batman by his throat and sent him flying towards one of the edges of the building.

"Die bitch." Naruto stated as he unholstered his pistol, aiming it at Bane.

"No!" Batman's body slammed into Naruto's as he fired his gun. The bullet slammed into the right side of Bane's chest as a helicopter came to the side of the building. The large luchadore like assassin quickly made his way to it and boarded it as Batman and Naruto fought over his gun with Joker laughing loudly. From within the helicopter, he produced a rocket launcher that he fired at the building.

Naruto, Batman and the Joker were launched into the air as the building they had stood upon exploded violently. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he sent himself sliding downward through the air, toward the Joker. His kriss knife unsheathed into his right hand as Batman's own eyes narrowed to slits. "You're dead Joker!"

"No!" Batman's body slammed into Naruto. The two flipped through the air. Before the hooded blond could regain his bearings, the bat themed vigilante launched him away, where he slammed into the side of a building. Naruto went into a free fall as Batman caught the Joker. The Joker made a wild swing at Batman, who countered it and slammed his fist into his face as the three slammed into a glass roof, shattering it.

Naruto slammed into the ground, gritting his teeth. "What the fuck!?" He questioned as Joker struggled to stand to his feet. "After everything he's done, you're going to let him live!?"

"I told you earlier: I don't kill. No killing." Naruto grimaced at the Batman, who stood at the ready to protect the man that had caused the entire evening's fiasco. Footsteps resounded loudly as officer began entering the room, surrounding three men.

"Freeze!" The lead SWAT officer cried.

"Whatever you say, Batman. You proved tonight that you're not the bad guy. But you're weak because you don't have the mental strength to do what need to be done: kill… Have fun with your clowns and officers. I'm going home." Naruto's eyes glanced around before he lifted his hands into the air.

"Stay still freak!"

"This one's one I just learned. I haven't gotten it to the level I want, but… It'll do for now. Shinra Tensei." All of the surrounding officers, Joker and Batman were blasted away from the hooded figure known as Shinju. An officer cried out as he slammed into a table, shattering it and allowing a large piece of wood to pierce into his body. Naruto chuckled as he received his knife from the ground, sheathing it before launching himself high into the air with chakra.

He wasted no time exiting Gotham.

_-Smallville-_

Naruto sighed as he came to stand in front of his apartment door. He had quickly traveled from Gotham City to Smallville. He had been gone for a little over a week, counting the days in between his interesting encounters with The Flash and The Batman. He wasn't necessarily looking forward to being back in Smallville. However, he needed time to ponder to himself.

He had almost killed an innocent man, a man attempting to long the same lines of what Naruto himself was going to do. He needed to research his clients and targets more thoroughly. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he opened the door to his empty apartment and threw his duffel bag across the room. "Who the fuck are you?"

There was a feminine chuckle as something smacked against the floor of his apartment before sliding across the room to his feet. The blond raised and eyebrow as he looked down upon a 'classified' folder marked 'Suicide Squad'. "I have a mission for you." A dark skinned woman stated as she walked from the shadows of his apartment. "And you have two choices: Accept the mission and a place in my Suicide Squad, or I reveal your dirty secret, Shinju. After all, I'm sure you got my note in Central City."

Naruto's eyes narrowed further as he reached down and picked up the folder. As much as he hated being strong armed into things he didn't want to do, it was far too early for him to even think about blowing his secret. "What's the mission?"


	4. Chapter 3: Iron Man

"If you've been listening to the news, you'd know that Tony Stark was abducted some time ago." The woman that had identified herself to Naruto as Amanda Waller stated as she paced back and forth in his living room. "Normally, I wouldn't care about some billionaire going missing. After all, Oliver Queen was missing for five years. You think I couldn't have found him?" She questioned as Naruto grimaced.

"What does this have to do with me? And this 'Suicide Squad' of yours?" The blond questioned as the woman chuckled.

"Oh no. You see, the Suicide Squad isn't in effect yet. I'm just getting members together. You're just the first that I've contacted. No, this mission has nothing to do with the Suicide Squad; I just needed you to understand that this isn't a typical assassination contract. This isn't one and done. This is until I'm done with you."

"You know I could kill you right now and no one would ever know."

"On the contrary, there are eight snipers stationed around this apartment with their snipers aimed at you. I don't know how much bullets hurt you, but by the time you get rid of me and them, my second in command back at base will already have livestreamed the identity of 'Shinju'." Naruto glared, disgusted at the woman as he walked across his wooden floor.

"I see you have all your bases covered."

"Indeed. Now, as I was saying before you interrupted me, if this was a normal billionaire like, say, Bruce Wayne… I wouldn't care. But Tony Stark is a major supplier of military technology and I can't lose that advantage. Your mission is simple. You're going to be deployed where inside sources say he's being held. You're going to rescue him."

"Great. Get in and get out. Now get out of my house."

"That's not all." Amanda Waller stated as she smiled at Naruto, infuriating him as he cracked his neck violently.

"Excuse me?"

"Not only are you going to rescue him, you're going to assist him for a time. Until we can be entirely sure that he's no longer in danger." Naruto shook his head.

"No. Absolutely not. I just got out of a bodyguard job and-"

"Was stupid enough not research who you were working for and who you were going after? Then again, to be fair, how would you have? You don't have any way to research them here with no technology. And you weren't in Gotham before your attempt on him. Still, how do you think the community that supports him would react if they found out? It could lead to a lot of headaches for you in the future. Me? Not so much."

"I'll save Tony Stark. And I'll be his babysitter. But not for long, understand? I won't be stuck babysitting a billionaire. One month. No longer than that. If you don't think he's safe after one month, assign someone else to the job." Amanda Waller chuckled as she walked to Naruto's door.

"I knew you would see it my way. Keep that folder. It'll remind you that your life is mine now."

"You realize that I'm going to return the favor for this, right?"

"Many have tried." Waller returned in an uninterested voice as she opened the door to his apartment. "Everyone has failed. I suggest getting your things ready. Your escort will be here to retrieve you in fifteen minutes." Waller exited the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the door before chuckling.

"You're messing with the wrong person."

Chapter 3

Iron Man

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he maneuvered through the unending desert that surrounded him. "How the hell am I supposed to find Tony Stark out here?" He questioned himself as a large burst of wind blasted sand violently into his body. His mask was the only thing that kept the sand from allowing the sand to enter his mouth. "It's nothing but sandstorms out here." The blond muttered angrily.

Amanda Waller and her helicopter had dropped Naruto off in the desert three days before hand. He had been unable to locate Stark because, as it were, Waller's information was wrong and the cave that they had supposedly held him captive in had been abandoned. Waller, promising to keep constant surveillance on him, had stated that she would not retrieve him until he either found Tony Stark or fell over dead.

Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the ground. Naruto stumbled slightly, unprepared for the sudden violent surge. A frown marred his features as he looked to the North, the direction that the explosion had come from. "I hope stark is in this direction." Naruto stated to himself as a blue aura began to surround his feet. Then, he launched himself high into the air. The blond haired shinobi dived through the air as he became increasingly aware of shouting in a language foreign to what he was accustomed to.

As he looked down upon the ground from his ever changing vantage point, Naruto's eyes landed on a hidden cave that would have taken an unnecessary amount of time to stumble upon with sheer luck alone. Gun fire rang heavily from the cave, causing the nineteen year old's mix matched eyes to narrow. Even if Tony Stark wasn't in the cave, there was something not right occurring there. He was going to find out what.

Landing at the cave entrance, Naruto released a smirk as he found himself behind a bald headed terrorist. A large robotic figure came around a corner from the inside of the cave, calling out a name as its black eyes looked down upon a wounded man. "Watch out!" The wounded man cried as the bald headed terrorist lifted his weapon to the weapon on his hand. Naruto was upon him in an instant, his combat knife jammed into the man's throat.

The man choked violently as blood gushed from the wound like a water fountain ornament. Naruto wrinkled his nose behind his mask before violently ripping his knife away and shoving the man to the floor. The robotic raised its arm to him, though Naruto held his hand up in a 'stop' manner. "I'm on your side. I promise. I just killed the man trying to blast you into oblivion."

The robot like being kept its arm raised for a moment before lowering it and moving to his wounded friend. "Stark…" The man stated as the robotic being removed the front of its face to reveal it was nothing more than a makeshift power armor with Tony Stark inside. Naruto couldn't believe the luck that whatever higher being there may have been had blessed him with.

"Come on. We got to go. Move for me, come on. We got a plan. We're going to stick to it." Stark stated as he tried to persuade the man to continue living.

"This was always the plan, Stark…"

"I can heal him." Naruto stated as he walked forward. His hands began to glow green as they hovered over the man's wounds. "It'll only put him in stable condition though. I'm not great at this. But it's enough to keep him alive until he can get to a medical facility." Tony attempted to nod on the inside of his suit as the man he knew as Yinsen grit his teeth, pain racing through his body like fire.

"Why are you doing this?" Tony questioned, causing Naruto to chuckle ever so slightly.

"I was hired to save you. I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of this cave alive. Besides, I could never let an innocent man die." Tony nodded in appreciation as he gave a grim smile to his hooded savior.

"Thank you."

"Well, we're not exactly out of enemy territory yet, now are we?" Naruto questioned over his shoulder before the man he was healing grabbed his wrists tightly.

"No more… No more…"

"Yinsen, what are you doing!?" Tony questioned as the man coughed, blood spewing from his mouth in a red mist. "Come on! We're… We're going to go see your family! Get up."

"My family is dead." Yinsen replied as his head thrashed from side to side, painfully. "I'm going to see them now, Stark. It's okay, I want this. I want this." Naruto sat back on his knees and shins, his hands on his hips as he bowed his head. The man had prolonged the healing too long. His death was all but over.

"Thank you for saving me…" Tony stated.

"Don't waste it. Don't waste your life." Yinsen stated, causing Naruto's eyes to widen slightly. Within Sasuke's final moments, those had been his final words after stating that his eyes were to be Naruto's. They were his best friend's final words, and now this man was giving those same words to Tony Stark.

Yinsen's head fell to the side, causing the blond to release a sorrowful sigh. That was the second person within his lifespan that he had seen die after speaking those words. Glancing to the side, Tony looked at Naruto. The blond haired shinobi could see the rage spark to life in those eyes as he reached up and lowered his face plate back down. "Can you cause a lot of damage?" The billionaire questioned his acquaintance.

"I can cause more damage than that suit of yours." Naruto boasted in return as Tony Stark moved forward, angrily.

"Keep up, and help me cause mayhem." Naruto followed closely behind Stark as they exited the cave. They were surrounded by ten rings of soldiers waiting for their appearance. Stark's suit revealed its weapons as a large spinning form of chakra began to mold in his savior's right hand. Stark's weapons fired at their enemies as Naruto released his attack.

"Rasenshuriken!" A loud explosion rippled through the area as bodies and their body parts were blown across the desert they had taken a stand in. The sand was stained a deep shade of red as the weaponry that the terrorists has acquired, Tony Stark's own inventions, were blown up with the people who had sought to use them for injustice.

Stark fell to one knee after his attack, seemingly giving out under his suit. "Are you okay, Stark?" The blond haired teenager questioned before reaching to his ear. Underneath his hood, he pressed a com link. "Waller, I've located Stark. Repeat, I have located Stark. The area is currently clear for pickup, but I don't know how long before more of them show up to take him back!"

"Roger that." Amanda Waller's voice answered back over the small piece of technology. "We're already in bound for you, Shinju. Look up." The blonde's mix matched eyes glanced to the overhanging sky, taking in the sight of an approaching helicopter. Glancing to Stark, Naruto frowned slightly.

"You see that, Stark? That's your way out of here. Do you want to help me get this suit off of you, because there's no way that we're going to be able to fit that in that helicopter." Stark laughed slightly as he maneuvered the suit to where it allowed him to lay on its metallic back.

"I don't know. I've gotten kind of used to it. I like it."

"I don't care how much you like it." Naruto returned, making the man laugh once again. That was a good sign. His helper's death hadn't completely traumatized him, and he was still well enough to laugh. That was more than Naruto could have hoped for after stumbling upon Tony's whereabout due to his holder's idiocy. "How do you get it off?"

"The bolts, you're going to have to pop them off." Naruto nodded as the helicopter slowly began to descend to the ground.

"I want that suit off of Stark before we hit the ground!" Waller's voice split through Naruto's skull, causing him to wince.

"I'm already on it, Waller."

_- Air Force Base-_

Tony Stark's employee, Pepper, watched as the black haired man was helped down the ram of a jet by a strange blond haired young man, with one of Tony's best friend, Rhodey, right behind him. "Watch your step right here." Rhodey stated as he motioned to a particular area of the ramp. Tony winced and leaned his entire weight onto Naruto.

He had spent two day returning home with the blond haired nineteen year old, who had refused to leave his side. Though it may have primarily been due to his contractual obligation, if not entirely due to that fact, it had caused Tony a great deal of relief to have him around. He found safety in the presence of the blond, knowing that he could dismantle anybody who stepped forward to harm his physical being.

"Do you want the emts, Tony?" His blond haired guardian questioned, causing the black haired genius to laugh loudly. He motioned the medical personnel away with his hand.

"Are you kidding me with that shit? Get that out of here." Tony relieved Naruto of the burden of his full weight as he came to stand in front of his red headed employee. "Hm. Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long lost boss?" Tony asked her smugly, despite the rough condition that he physically appeared to be in.

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." She returned, obviously happy to see the man alive once again.

"Yeah, vacation's over." Tony returned as he motioned for Naruto to follow him with his good arm. The three loaded into a car with a chauffeur.

"Where to, sir?" The man in the driver's seat questioned as he looked into the rear view mirror.

"Take us to the hospital please-"

"No."

"No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital."

"He actually doesn't." Naruto stated from his place to Tony's right. Pepper leaned to look past Tony at the bond haired boy. "He was given the best medical attention that could ever be administered. Overseen by some of the greatest medical minds in the military. At least, that's what Waller said. Take her words with a grain of salt."

"And who are you exactly?" Pepper questioned.

"Oh yeah, guess I forgot to introduce you two didn't I? Naruto, this is my assistant, Pepper. Pepper, this is Naruto. He's a friend."

"You've barely known him!" Pepper stated. "I've never even heard of him."

"You're right, Pepper." Tony replied. "He's my best friend behind Rhodey. How about that?" Pepper rolled her eyes at Tony's statement. "Now, there are two things I want to do now that I'm not being held captive anymore. One is to get an American cheeseburger. And the other-"

"That's enough of that."

"-is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now."

"Call for a press conference?" Pepper questioned as Tony disregarded her.

"Yeah."

"What on Earth for?"

"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first. Suit store for my friend here second." The trio in the back of the vehicle were driven to a Burger King, where Tony ordered a ton of cheeseburgers. Naruto declined any of the greasy food, having realized that he had done enough damage to his body with the food that he had once eaten in his own reality. From there, they went to a suit store. Tony refused to allow his new blond haired bodyguard to be present with him without a nicer wardrobe of outfits. They left the store with a few ensembles that Tony and Pepper had collaborated in creating for Tony's bodyguard. Then, they set out for their destination, to announce the return of Tony Stark to the world.

_-Stark Industries' Factory-_

Tony rolled his eyes as the car came to a halt, Obadiah Stane and a crowd of people waiting outside of his factory for him. He really wasn't prepared for such a high profile welcome back, and had to ready himself with his typical Stark attitude. Obadiah rushed forward and opened the door of Tony's car. Unfortunately for the man, it was the door that Naruto sat at. The blond was quick to exit the vehicle.

A kris knife exited the sleeve of the jacket that he wore and was at Obadiah's throat within seconds. The now blue eyed individual smiled at the crowed as he held the knife at an angle where it was invisible to them, making it seem as if he and Stane were sharing information about Tony. "Who are you, and what business do you have with Stark?" He questioned in the man's ear, never removing his fake mask of happiness for the crowd. "If you think I won't skewer you here in front of all these people, you're wrong."

"Easy there." Tony stated as he pulled himself from the inside of his vehicle, carrying his cheeseburgers with him. "He's a friend, Naruto. You can trust him. He worked with my father, and now he works with me." Naruto glanced to the side, allowing Obadiah's to meet his for a moment before he nodded and removed the knife from the man's throat. The movement was performed in a manner that the crowd behind Stane still had no idea the man had been in a life threatening situation.

"New friend, Tony?" Stane questioned as Tony watched him observe the blond bodyguard. Naruto's hair was spiked as usually, and he wore a foundation that hid his whisker marks from the world. He wore a black suit, which Tony had just acquired for him, with a red dress shirt and a black dress tie.

"Best friend. Really saved my ass." Tony responded, causing the man to laugh as he wrapped his arms around the billionaire, pulling him into a hug.

"Ah well. Look at you! You had to have a cheeseburger, yeah?" The man questioned Tony as he shook him slightly, Naruto's eyes narrowing at the movement. He had an off feeling about the man. However, the last time he had went after someone without proper information, he had almost murdered an innocent man. He wouldn't take that chance. "Well, come on. You get me one of those?"

"There's only one left." Tony stated as he shook his head, waving the food for a moment. "I need it." The man chuckled in response as they reached the building they were navigating to. Then he opened the door with a loud laugh. "Hey, look who's here! Yeah!" The group maneuvered their way into the building, through a crowd of reporters. Tony sighed slightly as he had Naruto help him to the stage. The billionaire sat down on the stage, eating the last of his hamburger as he motioned for Naruto to sit down next to him.

"Hey, would it be alright if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down?" The man questioned as the reporters looked around at each other, confused. "That way you can see me, and I can see you. It's a little less formal and I'm not really in a good state to be too formal." Tony stated as Naruto moved uncomfortably in the suit that he was wearing.

Tony took a deep sigh as he looked around at the reporters. "I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would have asked him." Naruto grimaced at the words. For a long time he had never gotten to say goodbye to his own father. And when he had, it was bittersweet. After all, he had been left with more questions about the man than answers. "I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did.

"If he was conflicted. If he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels." Tony paused to take a bite out of his cheeseburger as Naruto looked around the room, constantly watching for someone to make an attempt on Stark's life. "... I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

Naruto's brow furrowed at the man's words. He hadn't known Stark long, and despite how people took his somewhat sarcastic comments about them being best friends, they didn't know each other well. However, the Tony Stark that he was hearing talk beside him was very different from the Tony Stark that Naruto had heard of, as portrayed by the radio.

"Mr. Stark!" A reporter called from where he sat on the ground.

"Hey, Ben." Tony stated, obviously familiar with the reporter.

"What happened over there? And who's the new guy you have in your inner circle?"

"This guy?" Tony asked as he pointed his thumb to Naruto. "This is my bodyguard. His name is Sasuke." Naruto nodded in response. He and Tony had initiated the name to keep the blond's true identity secret. " As for what happened… I had my eyes opened over there." Tony replied earnestly, not a spec of a lie in his words. "I came to realise that I have more to offer this world than just making things… blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division until such a time as I can decide what the future of this company will be. What directions it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good of this country, as well."

Immediately at the words, the press lurched to their feet screaming questions to Tony Stark. Naruto tensed up as he too made his way to his feet. Obadiah made his way across the stage to hurry Tony off. Naruto grabbed the man by the front of his chest before shoving him away. "It's best to keep your distance." Naruto announced harshly as he helped Tony off stage and from any danger that could arise due to the excitement in the room.

Obadiah watched them leave before turning with a chuckle to diffuse the crow. Naruto and Tony exited the building before entering the car that had driven them there. Tony ordered Happy to drive them to another parking lot section of the factory before. Happy drove them and they exited the vehicle. "Come on inside." Tony stated as he lead the way for Naruto to follow him into the next section of the factory. "My dad built this."

Naruto observed the large creation before him. It was incredible. It would take a genius to build something of the magnitude that sat before him. The blond haired shinobi knew that he was nowhere near as smart as the man that had created what was in front of him. "It powers the entire factory." Tony stated, seconds before Obadiah entered the building, a grimace present on his features.

"Well, that went… well." The man stated as he walked forward, his eyes angrily taking in Tony's bodyguard's form. Naruto narrowed his eyes in response.. He had already thrown the man once today, and he wasn't afraid to do it again.

"Did I just paint a target on the back of my head?" Tony questioned, causing the man to chuckle insincerely.

"Your head? What about my head? What do you think the over-under on the stock drop is gonna be tomorrow?" The man questioned angrily.

"Optimistically, forty points."

"At minimum." Obadiah stated harshly.

"Yep."

"Tony, we're a weapons manufacturer."

"Obie, I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy." Tony stated, trying to get the man to see things from his point of view.

"That's what we do. We're Ironmongers. We make weapons."

"It's my name on the side of the building." Tony stated angrily as he pointed to the outside of the building.

"And what we do that keeps the world from falling into chaos!"

"You're not the ones that keep the world from falling into chaos." Naruto stated harshly. "You make weapons that get dropped on innocent people in the hopes that one guilty is hit. That's not preventing chaos, that's causing it."

"And you know so much about our world?" He questioned as he indicated around himself. "Newsflash bodyguard boy, you've been here for five minutes. You don't know anything about this factory. Besides, what else can we do? Make fucking baby bottles?"

"I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology."

"Come on, the Arc Reactor?" Obadiah questioned with a harsh chuckle. "That's a publicity stunt! Tony, come on. We built that thing to shut the hippies up!"

"It works."

"Yeah, as a science project." The older man returned. "The arc was never cost effective. We knew that before we built it. Arc Reactor Technology, that's a dead end, right?"

"Maybe." Tony replied as Naruto massaged his temples. He didn't know what an Arc Reactor, and with the men before him talking about it, it made him realize just how much he still had to learn about the universe that he now occupied.

"Am I right? We haven't had a breakthrough in what? Thirty years."

"That's what they say." Tony stated as he smirked, Naruto finally stopping the motion of massaging the sides of his skull. "Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you?"

"Never mind who told me. Show me." The man replied, causing Naruto to narrow his eyes. Again he felt as if there was something off about the man. He could feel it. He could hear it in the way the man spoke.

"It's Rhodey or Pepper."

"I want to see it." The older man stated as he pointed towards Tony's chest and took a step forward. Naruto reacted quickly, taking firm hold of the man's wrist. The man gained a disgruntled look as he ripped his hand away.

"He's a little protective." Tony stated as he unbuttoned his shirt to show the piece of equipment that was located in his chest.

"Okay." The man stated as he made to button Tony's shirt, stopping short as Naruto stepped forward. Tony chuckled as he held his hand up, keeping Naruto at bay as the eldest male buttoned his shirt.

"Okay?" Tony questioned as the man stepped away. "It works."

"Listen to me, Tony." Obadiah stated, snapping his fingers. "We're a team. Do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together." At the word we, Obadiah looked to Naruto, emphasizing the fact that he was not part of that equation. "Like your father and I." The blond in the room grimaced at those words. The man seemed to be making an unveiled attempt to Con Tony into doing what he wanted. Still, Naruto knew nothing about the man. He couldn't assume.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you the heads up, okay?" Tony spoke to the eldest male. "But if I had-"

"Tony. Tony, no more of this 'ready, aim, fire' business." The man interrupted as he placed his hands on his hips. "You understand me?"

"That was dad's line." Tony spoke in remembrance.

"You gotta let me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now. We're going to have to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low." Tony smirked slightly as Naruto glared dangerously at Obadiah.

_-Edwards Air Force Base-_

Naruto walked alongside Tony as they entered an Air Force Base. It had been a couple of days since Tony's return to America, and the man was definitely doing better physically. However, he had allowed his employee, Pepper, to change the 'Arc Reactor' that he had in his chest while Naruto was not present. It had almost resulted in death after he went into cardiac arrest. The blond wasn't quite sure what it was, but his clients tended to do things they shouldn't be when he wasn't around.

"Why are we here again?" Naruto questioned his ward, who shrugged his shoulders as his friend, Rhodey, talked to surrounding Air Force members.

"There's something that I'm planning on doing. And I want Rhodey to be a part of it." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the statement.

"This something… Would it cause bodily or mental harm to you?" The blond questioned, causing Tony to laugh as Rhodey continued to speak.

"-or a pilot's judgement."

"Colonel? Why not pilot without the plane?" Tony questioned, drawing everyone's attention to him and his bodyguard.

"Look who fell out of the sky. Mr. Tony Stark." Rhodey spoke.

"Speaking of man or unmanned," Tony spoke, a sly smirk slipping onto his features, "you gotta get him to tell you about the time he guessed wrong at Spring Break. Just remember that, Spring Break, 1987. That lovely lady you woke up with."

"Don't do that!" Rhodey exclaimed as Naruto tilted his head. Despite how far away Naruto and Sasuke had grown during their lives in Naruto's original reality, this seemed very much the same as how they used to act together.

"What was his name?" Tony questioned.

"Don't do that."

"Was it Ivan?"

"Don't do that. They'll believe it. Don't do that." Rhodey stated, very seriously. Naruto relaxed his body and looked around. He could tell for certain that Rhodey posed no threat to Tony.

"Okay."

"Don't do that." Rhodey stated one last time, just to drive the point home.

"Pleasure meeting you." Tony stated to the Airmen that Tony had been talking to.

"Give us a couple of minutes, you guys." Rhodey stated to the military members before turning back to Tony. "I'm surprised."

"Why?" The black haired man questioned.

"I swear I didn't expect to see you walking around so soon."

"Oh, he's been doing a lot more than just walking around." Naruto spoke up, causing Tony to chuckle. He knew that the blond was angry that he had almost caused his own death. In truth, Tony would have too if his life was depending on watching someone else. But it didn't, and the entire situation was somewhat hysterical to him.

"Really?" Rhodey asked as he looked from the blond to Tony.

"Yeah. Rhodey, I'm working on something on something big. I came to talk to you." Tony spoke as he looked around the Air Force base. "I want you to be part of it."

"You're about to make a whole lot of people around here real happy." Rhodey stated, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow. It didn't seem to Naruto that Tony was going to go back to making machinery for the military. But that seemed to be the vibe that Rhodey was getting. "'Cause that little stunt at the press conference, that was a doozy."

"This is not for the military…" Tony stated, trying to reason with Rhodey before he grew upset. "I'm not… It's different."

"What? You're a humanitarian now or something?" Rhodey questioned angrily.

"I need you to listen to me."

"No. What you need is time to get your mind right. I'm serious." Tony grimaced and glanced to the ground at the words.

"Okay."

"Not okay." Naruto interrupted, holding his hand up. "Tony's your friend, isn't he?" The blond questioned Rhodey, but waved his hand to keep him from answering. "Don't answer that. If you were really his friend, then you would stand beside him with this decision. He just went through a life changing situation and all you care about is him making more war machines for you. That's not friendship. Friendship is standing beside someone to the bitter end."

Rhodey recoiled, as if someone had slapped him in the face. He looked around for a moment before pulling his facial features into a grimace. "It was nice seeing you, Tony."

"Thanks." Tony stated before turning and walking away from the man. Naruto followed him rather closely as the man looked over his shoulder. "Thank you, Naruto. For someone that's being paid to protect me, I wouldn't expect you to stand up for me like that."

"I'm not being paid, I'm being blackmailed." Naruto replied as he continued his pace. "But I know what friendship is. Friendship isn't demanding something from your friend. Always wanting something. It's standing together." Tony chuckled in response and lifted his head upwards.

_-Malibu Home, Tony Stark's Lab-_

"JARVIS, you up?" Tony questioned the AI that Naruto was informed ran the mechanics of Stark's house. The blond raised an eyebrow and looked around at the ceiling as the voice responded.

"For you, sir, always."

"I'd like to open a new project file." Tony stated as he picked up a ball and started bouncing it back and forth in his hands. "Index as Mark II."

"Shall I store this on the Stark Industries' Central Database?"

"Actually, there's only one person I know I can trust right now." Tony stated as he glanced over his shoulder to Naruto, who had sat in a chair. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head was leaned back, looking at the ceiling. "Until further notice why don't we just keep everything on my private server?" He spoke as he brought up a 3D image of the armor he had built and began removing pieces from it.

"Working on a project, are we, sir?"

"I don't want this winding up in the wrong hands." Tony returned evenly. "Maybe in mine, it can actually do some good." Naruto raised his head at the words and narrowed his eyes at the armor that Stark was creating. Naruto liked Stark. There was just something in his personality that made him easily likeable. That didn't mean his blond haired bodyguard wouldn't do everything in his power to keep him safe so that Waller didn't blame him for something out of his power.

Naruto released a heavy sigh and stood to his feet. "I'll be back, Tony. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I have to go check the perimeter."

"For the fifteenth time today?" Tony asked as his bodyguard left to make sure that his home was still secure. Naruto traveled around the outside of the house and inside before coming back to Tony's lab. When he reentered the workshop, he found Tony was already well ahead in his inventions. The man stood with some type of metal boots on his feet and controls in his hand.

One of Tony's robots was filming him while the mechanic he had named 'Dummy' held a fire extinguisher. "Okay, let's do this right. Start mark, half a metre, and back and centre. Dummy, look alive. You're on standby for fire safety."

"Tony, I told you not to do anything stupid!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, causing the man to jump slightly as he whirled around to face his bodyguard. He chuckled for a moment as Naruto stared angrily at him.

"Well… You, roll it! Ten percent thrust capacity achieves lift! And three, two, one!" Naruto's eyes widened as the man's voice sped through the commands. Naruto moved forward to stop his ward, only to see the boots that he wore lift him off of the ground. Naruto halted in place, watching with a slightly awed expression at the display.

However, there was a sudden influx in his boots that sent him slamming into the ceiling before he fell to the floor. He lay there for a moment before Dummy sprayed him with the fire extinguisher. Naruto grimaced as he walked forward. He lowered himself to the ground and sat cross legged beside Tony's unmoving body. "You're a smart man… But you're not a bright man, are you?" Naruto questioned.

"Fuck off." Was the only reply as Tony pushed himself off of the ground. "You're not going to stop me from doing this. I've already made up my mind. Besides, I'm well enough to take care of myself. That ends your deal, right? You can leave when you want." Naruto placed his hands on his knees and straightened his back as he thought for a moment. It was true.

By all technicalities, everything that Naruto had agreed to had already come to fruition. By all means, he was technically finished with his mission. "You're right. I am finished with my mission. And since I don't technically have to worry about you injuring yourself anymore… I think I'll stick around and see just what it is that you're doing." Tony smirked in response as Naruto reached out and helped him to his feet.

_-Malibu Living Room-_

Naruto sighed heavily as he entered the living room with Tony. The Stark genius had been making great progress with his project when Pepper had interrupted and told them that Obadiah was there. "How'd it go?" Tony questioned the man before looking to the pizza box that he held in his hands. "It went that bad, huh?"

"Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn't mean it went bad." The man stated with a chuckle.

"Sure doesn't." Tony said, taking a slice of pizza before looking into the man's eyes. "Oh boy."

"It would have gone better if you were there."

"You told me to lay low." Tony stated, obviously not happy with the man at the statement. "That's what I've been doing. I lay low, and you take care of all-"

"Hey, come on." Obadiah interrupted. "In public. The press. This was a board of directors meeting." He stated, causing both of Stark's eyebrows to raise.

"This was a board of directors meeting?"

"The board is claiming that you have post traumatic stress. They're filing an injunction." The man stated, causing Tony to grimace. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he watched the man. He was obviously up to something suspicious. Naruto could see it in his eyes.

"A what?"

"They want to lock you out."

"Why? Cause stock dipped forty points? We knew that was gonna happen!"

"Fifty six and a half." Pepper stated.

"Stay out of this." Naruto stated, causing the red headed woman to glare at him.

"It doesn't matter. We own the controlling interest in the company."

"Tony, the board has rights too. They're making the case and your new direction isn't in the company's best interest."

"I'm being responsible!" Tony answered back. "That's a new direction… for me… for the company. I mean, me on the company's behalf, being responsible for the way that…" Tony grit his teeth angrily. "This is great!"

"Oh come on, Tony. Tony."

"I'll be in the shop." Tony stated as he motioned for Naruto to follow after him.

"Hey, hey! Hey, Tony. Listen. I'm trying to turn this thing around, but you gotta give me something. Something to pitch them." The man stopped and pointed at Tony's chest. Naruto's eyes narrowed again as he finally realized what Obadiah was working towards. "Let me have the engineers analyze that. You know, draw up some specs."

"No. No, absolutely not."

"It'll give me a bone to the boys in New York!" The man exclaimed, desperately trying to get his hands on the technology.

"This one stays with me. That's it, Obie. Forget it." The man sighed angrily before reaching forward and taking the pizza from Tony.

"All right, well, this stays with me, then. Go on, here, you can have a piece. Take two."

"Thank you." Tony replied as he took two pieces of pizza.

"You mind if I come down there and see what you're doing?" Obadiah questioned.

"Good night, Obie." Tony returned. Naruto followed after him as they entered the workshop.

"He's working an angle, Tony." Naruto spoke. "I can see it. I believe that he's working the board away from you. There's no way that they could overrule you both. He wants what you're building, Tony."

"I know." He replied. "I figured it out a few minutes ago actually. Remember back at the factory, he knew about my Arc Reactor? Pepper didn't tell him. And I realized that he didn't have enough time to talk to Rhodey between everything that was happening. Which means that the only other people that would know would be-"

"The ones that abducted you." Naruto interrupted as the realization finally washed over him. He had never connected those dots before.

"Exactly." Tony stated as he typed away on a holographic keyboard. "There it is." He stated as something came up on his holographic screen. "He's initiated a secret project. Mark I." He eyes roamed the information. "They're using the armor that we had to leave in the desert."

"Say the word and he's gone, Tony." The black haired man nodded before he spoke again.

"You'll get your chance. But not now. Let me finish my suit." Naruto nodded in response. He could understand the request. Tony felt betrayed and wanted to have a hand in Obadiah's downfall. So they settled into a regular routine. Naruto would constantly patrol Tony's property as the man work vigilantly on his armor.

Once he had completed the armor, he set out to test it with Naruto in tow. They had some mis conveniences with the military attempting to attack 'Mark II', the designation that Tony had given himself. Naruto had destroyed the backs of the planes in retaliation, causing them to lose altitude, but not at dangerous speeds.

They destroyed shipments that Tony had not approved of as the black haired man talked to Rhodey over the technology in his suit. Naruto listened in on the conversation as they spoke back and forth about Tony's project. "Listen, Rhodey. Obadiah isn't who I thought he was. He's trying to build a suit like mine. He's going to cause destruction."

"What do you need me to do?" Rhodey questioned as Naruto bounded from building to building to keep in the air with Tony.

"I need you to keep the skies clear." Tony responded.

"Will do. But how am I going to explain all of this?"

"Training accident. Isn't that the normal bullshit?" He questioned before shutting off the com link. "Are you ready for this, Naruto?"

"I'm ready." The blond called through the air.

"Remember the plan." Tony spoke, his voice more easily heard from behind his helmet.

_-Stark Industries-_

"Long day at work?" A metallic voice questioned, causing Obadiah to swing around. He stood in a warehouse, the original armor that Tony had created now behind him. The man stared at the new red and gold colored armor that Tony wore before chuckling to himself.

"I knew that was what you were working on. You should have leveled with me, Tony. I wouldn't have had to lock you out of the company then."

"Why did you do it? I trusted you." Tony spoke, causing the man to laugh loudly.

"Because we make weapons, Tony!" The man stated as he pressed a control pad. Added technology cause the heavy set armor to assemble onto Obadiah's body much like Tony's armor did. "Isn't it ironic? In trying to keep from making any more weapons you gave the world the greatest weapon! The Iron Monger!"

Tony said nothing as he jumped forward. His armored fist slammed into the Iron Mongrel's. Obadiah stumbled backwards in his own suit before delivering his own punch. Tony's suit covered body flew through the air before slamming violently into the floor. The larger armor stalked forward. "You could still level with me, Tony. Before I have to rid you of the world forever."

"My father was wrong to ever trust you." Tony stated in return. "I was wrong to ever trust you. But I can fix those mistakes now." The larger armored man laughed loudly before Tony slammed into him, sending it sliding away. "Because now I have someone that I can actually trust!" Iron Man's hand slammed into the armor chin of Obadiah, causing him to be lifted skyward.

His body slammed into the roof, breaking through it. As Obadiah's armored body fell to the rooftop, Tony rocketed through the roof. "You're making a mistake here, Tony." The more heavily armored man stated as he struggled to stand to his feet. He had not had the amount of time that he had thought he was going to have to prepare his suit for Tony.

Tony moved forward, but stopped as a large number of missiles launched themselves from Obadiah's armor. Tony dodged through the air as the dangerous weapons flew through the air, destroying great portions of Stark Industries. "The only mistake that I've made lately was trusting you!" Tony replied as he lurched through the air. His fist slammed into the man's armored face, crushing the armor.

Obadiah cried out as he stumbled backwards. "Naruto, now!" Tony cried out as he looked up to where Naruto had been watching the fight. His hand was lifted high into the sky, rain beginning to pour to the ground.

"In my best friend's words…" Naruto spoke dangerously low as Obadiah attempted to regain his bearings. "... Begone… With the thunderclap! Kirin!" A large blue beam of lightning shot down from the sky, crashing into Obadiah's armor. The man released a horrifying scream as he was boiled from the inside out. Tony grit his teeth as he watched the suit thrash about as it simultaneously melted around Obadiah's body. Tony clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.

"It's for the best, Tony… It's for the best…"

_-Press Conference-_

Naruto sighed in boredom as he watched Tony on the stage. There was a cover story that he was being told to tell the press about the incident at the industry. "Thank you." Tony spoke to the press, obviously not wanting to be there. "Been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time. There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the Rooftop of Stark Industries-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark?" A reported interrupted. "But do you expect us to believe that you had a bodyguard mysteriously appear despite the fact that you-"

"I know that it's confusing." Tony stated as he leaned on his podium. "It's one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."

"I never said you were a superhero."

"You didn't?" Tony questioned. "Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic. I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."

"Just stick to the cards man." Rhodey whispered as he stepped forward to Tony.

"Yeah, okay. Yeah… The truth is… Obadiah was insane and attacked me with a suit I made when I was being held captive. In fact, he's the one who hired people to kidnap me. Because of that, I'm Iron Man and that kid there is going to be taking his place. His real name is Naruto." The blond's eyes widened at the words. It seemed that Tony acted on impulse more often than not. He was lucky that no one besides Tony himself could connect him to Shinju.

The press jumped forward wildly as Naruto ran forward. He grabbed Tony and quickly got him off of the stage as Rhodey rushed forward to gain control.

_-Malibu Home-_

Naruto and Tony walked to the front door of the later's house. "So you're leaving now, right?" Tony questioned, prompting the blond to nod.

"There's really no reason for me to be here now. You have my number, so if you ever need me, just call." Tony sighed as he ran a hand through his hair before speaking again.

"In that case, there's something I want to give you." Naruto raised his eyebrow as Tony lifted a briefcase that he had been holding since they had exited Tony's car. The black haired man opened the case to reveal a pair of dark red leather gauntlets that, if Naruto put them on, would come up just under his elbows. They were eerily similar to Tony's Iron Man suit.

"They're blasters. I figured I'd give you something before you departed. I wanted them to be something that would fit you though. There's metal inside of the gauntlets with the circuits that work the blasters in the palm of the hand." Naruto took the briefcase from Tony as they began to enter the man's house. "I'm working on a different type of blaster that will fit your persona. For now, that's all I have."

"Why do any of it for me?" Naruto questioned.

"Because I see you as my friend." Tony replied as he opened the door to his house, Naruto's eyes widening. "JARVIS!" He called out.

"Welcome home, sir."

"'I am Iron Man'." A voice stated from the dark as a dark skinned man with an eyepatch stepped forward. "You think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet."

"Who the hell are you?" Tony questioned as Naruto's combat knife found its way into his hand.

"Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Oh."

"I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative. And with Shinju about S.H.I.E.L.D."

"How do you know my codename?" Naruto questioned in rage as he brandished his knife. He didn't understand how his secret identity was getting out so easily. The man chuckled slightly.

"Shinju, I believe you've met my cousin, Amanda Waller."

"Hello, Shinju."

"Son of a bitch."

_Chapter end_

I'm sorry guys. This is mostly done at School where it's technically illegal for me to stream videos due to a contract I've signed. I only had access to an Iron Man script and did what I could. This is what Naruto's current gauntlets look like  fs70/i/2011/083/b/e/leather_gauntlets_002_by_altitude_  . His gear will slowly evolve over time, but we're starting slow with it. I hope you enjoyed this.


	5. Chapter 4:The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

"So, how long has Waller been holding your secret over your head?" Fury questioned as he and Naruto walked on a S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier. Naruto glared at the back of the man's skull harshly.

"Around twenty days. Give or take a few. I've lost count." The blond replied, causing the dark skinned man to chuckle.

"Amanda is… eccentric. She goes too far with things. She makes it a point to coerce who she wants into doing what she wants doing whatever it takes and without taking into consideration how it makes the person feels. She thinks she's invincible, but you and I both know that's the opposite of the truth." Naruto narrowed his eyes as they came into a large control room where Fury walked to his chair.

"You're doing the same thing."

"Why? Because I said 'Shinju'?" Fury questioned. "No. I said that to get your attention. And now I have it."

"You were there with Waller."

"She was there to see you. I was there to see you and Stark. We weren't there together." Fury replied as he walked to a control board and began typing on it.

"So what's keeping me here? If you're not holding my identity over my head like Waller, how are you going to get me to play along with whatever scheme you have brewing?" Fury smirked slightly at the words and chuckled.

"A different type of coercion than what Amanda uses. You want her to leave you alone, and I can help with that."

"She's your family." Fury chuckled once again as he turned and faced Naruto.

"You don't pick your family. But you do pick who you trust your life with. Amanda's been digging her grave for a long, long time. There's nothing I can do to stop what will happen to her when karma finally catches up to her. As far as this situation goes… You haven't done anything wrong. A few mistakes, but you have to learn at some point. She's treating you like she treats criminals. I'm going to help you fix that. If you want?"

"I get payback." Naruto replied evenly. "You help me get out from under her thumb and I get a little payback. You stay out of my way when it comes to that." Fury frowned at the words.

"You can't kill her. I'll help you get payback. But you can't kill her." He returned. "As for now, we'll start working together. You help me with things, I find a way to get you away from Amanda and we both win." With those words, Fury lead Naruto to an armory.

"So what do you want?" Naruto questioned as he looked around the inside of the armory of the helicarrier he stood inside. "As in, why are you contacting me now? Despite the fact that you are prepared to help me get back at you cousin, you seem to have a similar personality. You wouldn't have revealed your hand if you didn't need me." Nick Fury looked to Naruto with his sole good eye before nodding as he handled a precariously large gun.

"You're right. I wouldn't have. But S.H.I.E.L.D has a problem that only someone like you can take care of. An assassin with incredible powers. So, when I hacked into Amanda's filed and found your file, I couldn't let the opportunity slip through my fingers. This isn't just about you doing a mission for me. I want you to be a member of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"What do I get out of it?" Naruto questioned as he looked around.

"You get amnesty for crimes you commit. You need to do your work, we can clear your name. We can make sure that your name never even gets dirty. You have a great friend in Tony Stark. A man that can make just about anything you ask for. But a lot of what you might need is right here. On this helicarrier." Naruto looked around the room once again before looking back to Fury.

"What about money? I may do what I do to help the world, but I have to survive to do that." Fury stared at him with his one good eye before chuckling.

"You'll get paid the same as everyone. It's not a bad deal, kid. You get to do what you want without getting in trouble for the vast majority of it. S.H.I.E.L.D can help clean up the mess. I'll help you get one over on Amanda. And you'll get paid for it all. On top of the fact that you'll still be able to operate as an assassin due to your special situation." Naruto frowned at the words for a long time before nodding.

"Okay. As long as you keep your word to me, I'll work with S.H.I.E.L.D." Naruto stated as he reached out and took Fury's hand, shaking it. "But I swear to God, if you ever cross me, you'll regret it." Fury stared harshly into Naruto's eyes at the words.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. But I'm a man of my word. Your first mission is a strange one." Naruto raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"I'm the one to ask then." Fury nodded as he continued to search through the weaponry and armor they had.

"Glad to hear that. As you know, there are beings out there that aren't humans. Metahumans, Mutants, Aliens, we both know that they exist. There's one particular mutant in particular you need to focus on. He's been around for a long time. He was part of an unapproved government raid on an island. He left the unit he was in after the mission, but just recently he came back in. His bones were coated in adamantium."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Naruto questioned.

"Adamantium is the strongest metal in the world. He broke out of the facility he was in after some issue. That means that we have a bad motherfucking mutant running around."

"So, what? You want me to go kill him?"

"No." Fury returned quickly. "I think he's one of the better guys. He's going on a warpath to find the man that made him like he is. A man named Stryker. I want you to join up with him and help him take out Stryker. But be careful. Files show that Stryker has some type of dangerous mutant protecting him."

"Right. When do I leave?"

"Not so fast." Fury replied. "I'm not shipping you out on your own. I'm not Waller. I'm not trying to get you killed for selfish reasons. I'm sending one of S.H.I.E.L.D's best agents with you." Fury stated as he indicated behind Naruto. The young man turned and found a redheaded woman in a black suit walking toward him.

"Natasha Romanoff. Codename is Black Widow." The woman introduced herself as she came to stand near the blond. Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked to Fury.

"So… She's like my partner now?"

"For the time being. That's my only stipulation as far as our deal goes. Anyway, are you both ready to go find your target?"

"I am, sir." Natasha returned.

"What's his name?" Naruto questioned out of curiosity, prompting Fury to smirk slightly before he responded.

"He goes by Wolverine."

Chapter 4

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

"So, what all do we have on this guy. Wolverine…?" Naruto's voice questioned Natasha as they sat across from each other in a diner. Naruto wore a brown bomber jacket over a plain white tee shirt with a pair of black gloves. He also wore a pair of light blue jeans and a pair of black combat boots. Natasha wore a blue long sleeve shirt and a pair of black jeans with black shoes. The blond whirled the coffee that sat in front of him with a stirring stick. His eyes conspicuously moved around the diner, attempting to find anyone watching them.

"He's a mutant with the abilities to produce bones from his knuckles. He was in a task force a few years ago. Walked out on the unit because of whatever it was they were doing." Natasha replied as she leaned on the table they sat in, her arms crossed. "He fell off the map for some time. Years. Then something happened. People on the task force he was part of started dying. We have hunches as to who it was, but no proof. No evidence. Then, his girlfriend showed up dead. He joined forces with some silent part of the government.

"Adamantium was bonded to his bones. We don't know why it happened, or how. We also don't know what happened within that time frame but it set him off. He's been filled with rage ever since and he's been on a warpath. He's been tracking down whoever was behind what he's been through. We're to help him, but we're also doing this to find out what S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't know." Naruto nodded in response to the statement.

Moments later, the sound of glass shattering rang throughout the diner as the building rocked. Naruto blinked as he looked into his glass of coffee, watching the liquid shift from side to side. "I'd place a bet that that has something to do with the man that we're trying to track down…?" Naruto questioned his red headed tag along, who chuckled in response.

"It's not coincidence that there's a ruckus in the place I decided for us to stop at." Natasha shot back as she and Naruto stood to their feet, rushing from the interior of the diner to a nearby alleyway. There they found the sight of a lifeless man lying upon the ground, lifeless, two rather burly men standing across from each other and a third man standing somewhat between them. The man wearing a long black overcoat stared at the number of people that had arrived on the scene before he began to slowly back away.

"Victor!" The other man replied as he stalked forward after him, only to be hit in the face by a staff wielded by the third man. The man chuckled slightly as he grabbed his lower jaw and cracked it. "Nice stick." He stated as three metal claws extended from between his knuckles on his right hand before turning to one. The third man smirked in reply as he brought his staff up. The claw sliced through the weapon as Naruto and Natasha rushed forward.

Naruto's knee slammed into the man's abdomen violently, prompting him to double over in pain. Natasha grabbed the other man, who Naruto was presumed was Wolverine, by the arm as he made to attack the new arrival. He jerked to the side, out of her grasp as Naruto grabbed his former opponent around the neck, flipping him onto the ground. "Who the hell are you, bub?" The man questioned angrily.

"You can call me Shinju, Mr. Wolverine." Naruto responded as his foot slammed onto the down man's chest, his eyes staring intensely into Wolverine's own. "And this is my associate, Black Widow. We've been tasked with the job of helping you out."

"By who?" Wolverine questioned in his gruff voice. Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Natasha spoke first.

"That's none of your concern. What is your concern is that we're here to help you on whatever adventure you've found yourself on. As for why, well that's simple. We get something out of it too. That, also, is none of your concern." Wolverine stared at them a moment before he began chuckling.

"I don't care about your agendas, chick. I don't need anybody's help, except for the guy you have under your foot there, bub." Naruto narrowed his eyes at Wolverine. He doubted he would be able to strongarm the man into letting them tag along with him. It was obvious that he was a headstrong man and if he pushed too hard would no doubt end up on his bad side. At the same time, it definitely wasn't an option to just follow off behind him.

"Then I guess it would be able to get his help," Naruto spoke menacingly as his foot pressed harder in the man's chest, "If he's dead." Wolverine snarled harshly in response to the statement, his six claws coming forth from his knuckles.

"You don't want to do that, bub." The dark haired man stated harshly, stalking forward. "Because I'll turn you into a shishkabob." A gun pressed itself solidly against the side of Wolverine's skull, prompting him to halt in his tracks. He glanced to the side, finding Natasha standing there, a pistol held firmly in her hand.

"Don't take another step."

"Go ahead. You're not getting rid of me. No one is until I've done what I set out to do." Naruto chuckled at the man's statement as he lifted his arms upwards.

"Same here, _bub_." He remarked, mocking the man's verbal tick. "We're here to complete a mission that's been assigned to us. And you're not going to get in our way. It would be easier for everyone if you just went along with us. Nobody would have to get hurt until you found whoever it is you're on the warpath after. Mr. What's his face under my foot wouldn't have to get his chest caved in. What do you say…?"

Wolverine panted heavily, his breath revealing the primal side of him as his claws disappeared back into his hands. "You two stay the hell out of my way." Wolverine growled in a guttural tone as he reached down to to the ground, grabbing the man who Naruto's foot sat on by the shirt before pulling him up, out from under Naruto's weight. Then, he violently threw him against a nearby brick wall, where he held him there.

"And you, you little shit. Listen to me good. You're going to take me to this damn island where I'm going to kill Creed, Striker and pretty much everyone you hate in this world, you understand?" He questioned, prompting the man to smirk slightly as he panted.

"You're really gonna' kill 'em?" The man asked in a Cajun accent.

"Hold off on that answer." Naruto interrupted as Natasha placed her pistol back in its hidden holster. "Creed, Striker, who are they?"

"You don't need to know-"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." Naruto grit through his teeth. "Remember, everything will go smoother if we can all just cooperate with each other." Wolverine glared at him from over his shoulder before returning his gaze back to the man in front of him.

"Creed's someone I've known a long time. Someone I trusted at one point in time. He killed the woman I love. Striker's the man behind it all. The man whose made my life a living hell." The dark haired man stated. "And as long as _you_ stay out of my way." He continued, referencing everyone left in the alleyway, "I'm going to cut their damn heads from their shoulders." With that, he slammed the shoulders of the man he held into the wall behind him, causing him to grunt in pain. Naruto glanced to the man before following after Wolverine.

"So what's the plan?"

"We fly." Wolverine stated.

Naruto flew through the air next to a small plane dressed as Shinju, using one of the last powers he had acquired during his time in the Shinobi Era. Black Widow sat on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck as there had only been room for two people inside of the plane: Wolverine, and the man known as Remy. "You okay?" Naruto questioned over his shoulder, somewhat unsure if his voice had been lost to the wind, and if she had even heard him. She had.

"Despite the act that I'm hundreds of feet from solid ground, over water, and clinging onto a flying man's back, I'm perfectly fine." The red headed S.H.I.E.L.D agent returned. "Besides, it seems that I'm much better off flying on your back than in that plane." She stated, indicating to the flying craft that bobbed up and down through the air, almost as if it were unsure if it would continued flying, or if it would crash.

Moments later, the thick cloud that had formed around them gave way to reveal an island that resembled a nuclear reactor site. "I guess that's our destination." Naruto stated, prompting Natasha to nod in response, though the blond was unable to see the reaction.

"Hiding it in plain sight. No one would want to go digging around in a Nuclear Reactor. They're too afraid that it's going to do some kind of harm to them." Naruto grimaced at the statement as they followed closely behind the flying plan that Remy manned.

"If what the two in that plane said are true, there's no telling the kind of harm that's fallen on the ones who were unlucky enough to be forced in there." With those words, the side doors of the plan opened, revealing Wolverine as he yelled back and forth with Remy inside the plane. Naruto couldn't exactly hear the words spoken over the roar of the engine, though he understood the gist by what he could decipher from Wolverine's mouth.

Then, the grizzly man launched himself from the side of the plane to the water below as the plane left him behind, circling around and away from them. Naruto shot forward, grabbing the man by his jacket. The weight caused Naruto to dip in the air for a moment before regaining control of his flight. "We're going to have to land." He stated with gritted teeth as they edged closer and closer to the water. "He's too damn heavy."

With those words, they connected with the ground of the island. After taking a few seconds to regain their bearings, Naruto and Natasha followed Wolverine, who had planned his escape out with a map Remy had made of the island. They dodged and weaved through the island before quietly entering a building. They hid in the shadows of a room where men in white lab coats resided, two dragging a blindfolded boy to a cell.

They moved quickly, and quietly, to a squared spiral staircase where Natasha and Wolverine began the slow descent up. Naruto launched himself from the ground floor to a railing. And then from that railing to the next and so forth. As they reached an overlooking room filled with monitors, cells, men and women dressed in white surgeon clothes and a man with greying hair wearing a white doctor's coat, Wolverine's expression became ominously dark. Naruto's intellect automatically deduced the man in the coat as either 'Creed' or 'Striker'.

The men dressed in white, who had previously been performing some type of operation on someone, began halting in their process as they noticed the new arrivals on their level of the building. "Logan." The man stated, prompting Wolverine and the two behind him to halt. "Welcome back to the world. I see you've brought new soldiers with you."

"Before I gut you," The dark haired mutant returned, his lips somewhat quacking, "I want to know why."

"I needed your powers for the pool."

"For the what?" Wolverine, or Logan as he was also apparently known as, questioned, his dark visage never changing as Naruto and Natasha absorbed what information they could for S.H.I.E.L.D.

"The mutant killer." The lab coat wearing man returned. "Deadpool. You see, Logan, believe it or not you, in a way, made Weapon Eleven possible. I asked if you wanted to help, but you said you wanted to live the quiet life. Well, I've learned that nothing motivates the men in your family like… revenge." With those words, the man sat on a desk, looking past the three. Naruto and Natasha turned first, finding a woman standing behind them.

"Who are you?" Logan questioned.

"Oh she's real, old friend." The lab coat wearing man stated. Logan bent down to one knee, obviously disturbed by the woman. Naruto's hand inched close to the pistol on his hip. He was growing rather tired of the banter coming from the man. He just wanted to see the end of the mission, to hold up his end of the bargain so that Fury would do the same. "Did you really think that we would just let you walk away?" The man questioned Wolverine. "You're a dangerous man. We like to keep an eye on dangerous men. Tell him about the day you died."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as a revelation passed over him, just before the woman spoke. She was the woman that had caused Logan to go into the rage filled fit he had. She had been his girlfriend that was supposed to be dead. "They gave me a shot of hydrochloric ioside. It reduces the heart rate so that it appears to flatline."

"Don't be angry with her." The lab coat wearing man spoke again, his tone mocking Wolverine. "She's a real credit to her species." He stated, prompting Logan to look at her in shock. "Did you know that her sister has diamond hard skin? Kayla's mutation is tactile hypnosis. She can influence people as long as she touches them. Quite a useful tool in seduction. It was never real my friend." He stated, causing the woman to walk forward.

The man pulled back his coat to reveal a gun, halting her. Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Big mistake, dumbass." He stated, his gun training in on the man. "You might want to put the gun away before I blow your fucking head off." Wolverine glanced to the man before glancing back to the woman that had been his girlfriend.

"It was real for me."

"It was real for me too." She stated, obviously feeling safe due to the weapon Naruto had trained on the man. "I never used my powers on you. Not even once."

"That's enough!" The man cried as he made to draw his gun, only for Naruto's bullet to pierce through his upper body, very close to his heart.

"Happy now?" The blond questioned. "You played an idiot and now you're going to bleed out. You have, maybe, fifteen minutes left with that wound." He stated as he squatted down, Natasha drawing her own weapon and firing at the employees within the room that made to converge on Naruto. The blond placed his finger in the man's wound, twisting it around and causing him to scream violently. "And I'm going to guess that the info Fury really wants is what this Deadpool thing is. So go ahead and drop the details before I make those last fifteen minutes the most miserable of your life."

A crash drew Naruto's attention away from the man as the figure that had been in the alley when Naruto and Natasha had found Wolverine burst through the wall. He held Logan's ex's throat in his hand, his eyes switching between her and his other fellow mutant. "This time, bitch…" He spoke, his grip tightening. "You die for real."

"Let her go." Logan stated, prompting the man to smirk. "Victor!" He cried in a primal rage as his claws exploded from his knuckles and he rushed forward. Logan plowed into the mutant known as Victor where a short struggle ensued. Wolverine knocked the man's legs out from underneath him before he found his way back to his feet. Logan rushed forward, stabbing his claws into his enemy as they plowed through a large glass window and fell to the ground below.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he and Natasha rushed to forward, dropping from the window as Wolverine placed three of his claws at his target's throat, said man beginning to laugh. "Feels good, doesn't it?" He questioned. "All that rage. Do it."

"Logan!" His ex girlfriend cried from the window. "You're not an animal!"

"Oh yes you are. Do it. Avenger." Logan was quiet for a moment before his withdrew his claws. Then he released a scream of rage before punching his enemy in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Oh for god's sake." Naruto stated, walking forward and drawing his gun as Logan's ex made her way to the ground. "I am so sick and tired of people not killing these guys because of morale codes."

"Logan, they have my sister!" The woman called as Naruto pointed his gun at Victor's skull. Logan made to stop him, but as he pulled the trigger a man dressed in a red and black suit appeared in front of him, deflecting the bullet with a katana sword.

"And Deadpool makes the save today!" The man stated in, what Naruto deemed, an annoying voice. "Hey-o Mr. I'm gonna' steal Deadpool's shtick before he has the chance to take it in this fic, you can't go around killing these guys, because, well you know I'm supposed to protect them… and shit." Naruto furrowed his brow at the man.

"Who in the hell are you?" He questioned.

"Wade… is that you?" Logan questioned, prompting the man to look at him.

"Oh, hi there Logan-poo. Didja' miss me? Aw, don't answer that. I know you missed me."

"You're Deadpool?" Wolverine questioned. "I guess Striker couldn't quite find a way to shut you up, could he?"

"Not in this fic he couldn't! 'Cause, you know, my counter from this movie sucked balls."

"What the hell is wrong with this guy, Wolverine?" Naruto questioned.

"His name's Wade Wilson. He's slightly mental." Naruto made a noise from the back of his throat before indicating to Natasha.

"Widow, go with her. Help the mutants. I'm going to stay here and kill this mental piece of shit." Deadpool chuckled in response.

"Oh, I don't think so. The reader's love me far, far too much for me to die and are probably having orgasms cause I showed up to save this story!" Naruto narrowed his eyes. Then he lurched forward, firing multiple bullets at the red and black suited man. The man made over exaggerated martial arts movie screams as he blocked the bullets with his swords. "Not in my fucking house! Get that shit out of here!"

"Sorry, Wade." Logan growled as his claws extended once again. "But you have to go down." Deadpool jumped away as Wolverine made a vicious swipe for him. He landed on his feet, laughing maniacally.

"Cain't touch this, dun nun nun nun-" Naruto's combat knife slammed into Deadpool's back multiple times as he used the man's seemingly ADD moment to stop him in the back. Then, he spun him around, the knife slicing through the masked man's arm. The man screamed as he stumbled backwards. "My arm! Oh my god my arm! You took my arm off, man, my fucking arm! Holy shit my ar- Nah." He stated, laughing as he grabbed the appendage and bounded away.

"I'm just kidding you. It kinda tickled really." He stated as he began pressing the severed pieces of his bleeding arm back together. "Now… how did this shit go together…? Oh yeah!" As Naruto rushed forward, the man jumped away, grabbing the katana he had dropped with the loss of his arm, revealing that his arm had been returned to its attached state.

"How in the hell-"

"You see that shit?" Deadpool questioned, indicating to his reattached arm with one of his swords. "You can't beat that type of shit. Because people love me and want to see all in one piece, kicking ass and stuff, Ain't that right guys?!" Wolverine's claws plowed into Deadpool's back, causing him to actually giggle as Naruto produced his gun once again and fired a round between the man's eyes. He continued to laugh. "This is fun." Wolverine snarled as he ripped his claws from the man, knocking him away.

"We can't kill him. He has a healing factor that heals faster than we can hurt him." With those words, Deadpool flew through the air, his sword slicing across Wolverine's back and causing him to cry out in pain.

"Booya! Score one for Deadpool! I get a chimichanga now, right?" He questioned seemingly to no one as he quickly pulled a handgun and shot Naruto, though his bulletproof vest took the entire force of it. Naruto's released a harsh noise from the back of his throat as he stumbled backwards, his eyes beginning to glow violently, red and purple.

"Fuck you." He snarled. "Amaterasu!" He cried as blood dribbled from his eyes. Black flames shot through the air. Deadpool released a girly screech as he jumped away, the flames seemingly passing by him.

"Said you can't touch this-" The flames returned, consuming the red and black costumed man. He cried out as the flames licked away at his costume and subsequently his skin. "What the absolute crap!? Fire can't do that! Fire don't live! Alright, screw this! This was not in the contract! I will return when I'm not fucking on _fire_!" He cried out before pressing a button on his belt. He disappeared in a flash.

Naruto panted as he held his eye. Even though Sasuke's eyes were as strong as they were, that specific attack continued to take a toll on Naruto. Black Widow appeared in the room, looking around. "They're freed. We need to get out of here before anyone comes digging around to find out what all the commotion was about." Naruto nodded in response as he stood. He walked a few steps towards Natasha, then paused. Spinning, he aimed his pistol and fired a shot off into Victor Creed's skull.

Blood immediately began pooling from the mutant's skull as Naruto's eyes fell from him to Logan. "Leave him." Naruto stated as he walked forward, slightly staggering. "Our deal with him is over. He can take care of himself from here. Let's get back to Fury so we can be done with this bullshit."

"So, the top secret project that's been circulating in the government was this… pool?" Nick Fury questioned as he sat on a S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier with Shinju and Black Widow.

"That's exactly what it was." Naruto replied as he grabbed his lower mask, removing it from his face. "He seemed unkillable. No matter what damage we did to him he just kept regenerating. When he teleported off he was burning in a fire that doesn't stop burning until it has completely destroyed what it was sent to destroy." Fury grimaced at the words as he placed a hand under his chin.

"I see. That's disconcerting… It seems that I don't really have an option but to begin the recruiting phase now."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto questioned.

"Shinju, Black Widow… Let me explain something to you. I call it, The Avenger's Initiative..."


End file.
